Brazil plane crash kills all 61 on board

An airplane carrying 57 passengers and four crew crashed Friday in Brazil's Sao Paulo state, killing everyone on board, the airline said.

The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operated by Voepass airline, was traveling from Cascavel in southern Parana state to Sao Paulo's Guarulhos international airport when it crashed in the city of Vinhedo.

Voepass initially said the plane was carrying 58 passengers, but a statement on the airline's website later revised the figure to 57, reports AFP.

Images broadcast on local media showed a large plane spinning as it plummeted almost vertically, while other footage showed a large column of smoke rising from the crash site in what appeared to be a residential area.

Vinhedo, with about 76,000 residents, is located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo.

Recovery of the victims' remains for "identification" has begun and "will continue throughout the night," Sao Paulo State Governor Tarcisio de Freitas told reporters at the scene.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared three days of mourning.

Voepass said it was cooperating with authorities to "determine the causes of the accident," while giving full assistance to families of the victims on flight 2283.

The plane, a twin-engine turboprop, took off "without any flight restrictions, with all its systems operational," the company said.

Brazil's CENIPA aviation accident agency has launched an investigation.

ATR, a Franco-Italian aircraft maker and Airbus subsidiary, said its experts were working to help investigators.

- 'Terrifying' -

Truck driver Martins Barbosa, 49, was working when he learned of the plane crash, which occurred 150 meters (500 feet) from his home.

"I thought it might have fallen on my house, with my son inside," he told AFP, adding he felt despondent before learning his family was okay.