At least nine people lost their lives on Sunday morning, December 22, when a small plane crashed in Gramado, a well-known tourist destination in southern Brazil, according to local authorities.
The aircraft collided with the chimney of a building, struck the second floor of a house, and ultimately crashed into a furniture store, sparking a fire, the Rio Grande do Sul State Security Secretariat reported.
“There are nine confirmed fatalities, and no survivors from the plane,” Cleber dos Santos Lima, director of the Interior Police Department, told AFP.
Officials have yet to confirm the exact number of passengers and crew aboard the Piper Cheyenne 400 turboprop, though earlier reports suggested there were 10 people on board.
At least 15 individuals were hospitalized, mostly due to smoke inhalation caused by the ensuing fire.
The flight had departed from Canela, another tourist hotspot in Rio Grande do Sul. Gramado, especially busy during the Christmas season, attracts thousands of visitors annually.