Private Plane Crashes In Brazil’s Mountain Resort Town; At Least 10 People Killed

New Delhi: A private plane crashed in Gramado, a popular mountain resort town in Brazil, on Sunday, leading to the death of all 10 passengers on board and injuries to 15 people on the ground.

The small plane hit the chimney of a house, then the second floor of a building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a residential neighbourhood of Gramado, Brazil’s Civil Defense Agency said in a post on X.

More than a dozen people who were around at the site of the mishap were rushed to hospitals with injuries including smoke inhalation, two of who are in critical condition.

According to local media, the plane belonged to Brazilian businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, who was himself piloting the aircraft. He and his family were travelling to Sao Paulo.

In a statement published on LinkedIn, Galeazzi’s company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that the 61-year-old was travelling with his wife, their three daughters, four family members and another company employee. They all perished in the crash.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. The local administration is probing the crash.

“In this moment of intense pain we are deeply thankful with the manifestations of solidarity and love that we have received from friends, colleagues and the community. We also express our solidarity with those who have been affected by this accident in the region,” the statement said.

Footage from security cameras showed the small Piper plane departing from Canela airport in Rio Grande do Sul State minutes before it crashed in Gramado, which is about 10 km from the airport.