Fourteen people were killed in a plane crash in Barcelos, a tourist town in the Brazilian Amazon, on Saturday, according to authorities. The plane, a twin-engine turboprop EMB-110 manufactured by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, missed its landing in Barcelos in heavy rain, Amazonas State Security Secretary Vinicius Almeida said during a press conference.
The plane went off the runway after landing too far away, killing all 12 passengers and two crew members. There are no survivors, said Vinicius Almeida. According to the first elements of the investigation, the passengers were all Brazilian men who were going to the region for sport fishing, the state government said in a press release.
“Our teams have been on the ground since the time of the accident to provide necessary support,” Governor Wilson Lima wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “My solidarity and prayers to the family and friends of the victims,” he added. Images broadcast by Brazilian media showed the small white plane lying on its belly on a dirt runway, the front of the aircraft immersed in thick vegetation.
The plane had departed from Manaus, the state capital, towards Barcelos, a flight of approximately 90 minutes. According to authorities, two other planes approaching Barcelos around the same time turned back to Manaus due to bad weather. The investigation was entrusted to the Air Force and the police, authorities said. Located on the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, the city of Barcelos is bordered by several national parks. This region is popular with sport fishermen who can, in this season, catch tropical river species such as tucunaré (also called peacock bass).
According to authorities, the bodies of the victims will be transported to the state capital on Sunday for identification. It was impossible to do so earlier as night takeoffs and landings were not permitted in the region. “An Air Force plane will leave Manaus tomorrow around 5 a.m. with investigators and emergency service officials,” Vinicius Almeida said. “We hope to be able to bring the bodies back to Manaus and immediately submit them for forensic examinations before releasing them to the families,” he said.
