Brazil: Aircraft piloted by Brazilian businessman crashes in tourist city; 10 dead

The plane reportedly first struck the chimney of a building, then the second floor of a house, before crashing into a furniture store

A small aircraft crashed into shops in the tourist city of Gramado in southern Brazil, killing all 10 passengers on board, reports said on Sunday. Brazil's Civil Defense Agency said the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential neighborhood of Gramado.

Firefighters and other rescue teams work in the site of a plane crash at the city of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on December 22, 2024. (AFP)

Gramado is in the Serra Gaucha mountains and popular with Brazilian tourists. The town was settled by large numbers of German and Italian immigrants in the 19th century and is a popular spot for Christmas vacations, according to an Associated Press report.

Local media reported that the plane was piloted by Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, a Brazilian businessman who was travelling with his family to Sao Paulo State.

In a statement on LinkedIn, Galeazzi's company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that the 61-year-old was on the plane, adding that he was traveling with his wife, their three daughters, several other family members and another company employee, who died in 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” the statement reads. “We also express our solidairity with those who have been affected by this accident in the region,” it added.

Rio Grande do Sul state's public security office stated that 15 people were taken to the city's hospital, most of them suffering from smoke inhalation caused by the fire triggered by the crash.

The accident comes just days before Christmas, a particularly busy period for the city, which is traditionally adorned with decorations and hosts festive events.

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

Brazil bus crash death toll rises to 41

In another development, authorities on Sunday raised to 41 the death toll in a weekend bus crash in southeastern Brazil that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a "terrible tragedy."

According to an AFP report, the toll was up from the 38 deaths announced after the crash Saturday, when the Federal Highway Police called it the worst accident on the nation's highways since 2007.

The Civil Police told reporters Sunday that "41 bodies" had been removed from the accident scene near the mining town of Teofilo Otoni, in Minas Gerais state.