Brazil plane crash kills family of 10

Brazilian businessman Luiz Galeazzi and family died in a Gramado plane crash, killing 10 and injuring 17. Investigations into the tragic incident are underway.

Brazilian businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi and his family died in a plane crash in the mountain resort town of Gramado, on Sunday. 

All 10 passengers on board lost their lives in the event. The Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, also said that 17 people on the ground were injured, including two in critical condition “due to burns”.

According to Brazil’s Civil Defence Agency, the small aircraft hit the chimney of a home, just minutes after its morning takeoff. It later hit the second floor of another home before crashing into a commercial building. 

"At the time, it was revving up. You could see that it was accelerating a lot," an eyewitness, Nadia Hansen, told Reuters news agency.

"Then there was a bang as it hit the building and then it passed close to my house and then it fell, and I thought it had dropped in front of the house," she said.

Videos from the scene show fog covering the sky, along with flames erupting from the crash site. Pictures from the event also show emergency workers tending to the rubble created by the impact. 

Galeazzi, the CEO of consultancy firm Galeazzi & Associados, was joined by his wife and three daughters among the fatalities.

“Luiz Galeazzi will be forever remembered for his dedication to his family and for his remarkable career as a leader of Galeazzi & Associado,” wrote the company in a LinkedIn post. 

“We reaffirm our commitment to follow up on the investigations conducted by the competent authorities and inform that all aircraft registrations and authorisations were properly in order.”

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, also shared his condolences for the family on social media. 

“I hope that the injured have a speedy recovery. The Air Force is investigating the causes of the accident and the federal government is at the disposal of the state government and local authorities to clarify the situation as soon as possible,” he wrote on X.

Gramado is considered a popular tourist destination around Christmas time, receiving more than 2.5 million visitors per year. 

Sunday’s incident happened just months after a commercial flight crashed outside of Sāo Paolo, killing all 62 passengers on board — the worst air disaster the nation has seen since 2007.

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