Plane Crash Kils Two In São Paulo

A small plane crashed inside a bus in a busy road of São Paulo, southern Brazil on Friday, killing at least two people.

The crash took place around 7:20 a.m. local time (5:20 a.m. ET) along Avenida Marquês in the coastal district of Barra Funda, CNN affiliate CNN Brasil reported.

Two aircraft passengers were burned to death, according to military police. Six other people were injured, including a motorcyclist and a woman on the bus who were both hit by flying debris.

Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Footage from the aftermath on Friday showed black clouds of smoke and bright orange flames unfurling over the highway.

The small twin-engine King Air plane – which was en route to Porto Alegre in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul – took off from Campo de Marte Airport on Friday morning, but the control tower lost contact with the aircraft minutes before the crash.

According to the Associated Press, the plane smashed into the road less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from where it took off.

One emergency crew official recalled “desperate people” scrambling to leave the bus on Avenida Marquês after it was hit by the plane.

“As we approached, we saw a lot of smoke,” Alexandre Lima Marques, a member of the Civil Guard, told CNN Brasil. “We could see the plane on fire, desperate people getting off the bus. They were very scared and in shock.”

Emergency crews, including firefighters and traffic employees, were deployed to help rescue victims, according to São Paulo mayor Ricardo Nunes.

Nunes expressed his “regret” over the fatal crash, in a post on X. “We are providing all the support structures to help the victims,” he said.

CNN/Ejiofor Ezeifeoma