The governor of Brazil’s northern Amazonas state says 14 people died when a plane crashed on Saturday.
The tragedy occurred in the Barcelos province, around 400 kilometres (248 miles) from the state capital, Manaus.
“I deeply regret the deaths of the 12 passengers and two crew members who were victims of the plane crash in Barcelos on Saturday,” said Wilson Lima, Governor of Amazonas State, on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Our teams have been working tirelessly from the start to provide the necessary assistance.” My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to their families and friends.”
The Manaus Aerotaxi airline issued a statement acknowledging the accident and stating that it was investigating, but providing no information on fatalities or injuries.
“We count on respect for the privacy of those involved during this difficult time and will be available to provide all necessary information and updates as the investigation progresses,” the statement stated.
According to a statement from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), investigators from the Accident Investigation and Prevention Centre (CENIPA) have been brought in to begin an inquiry into the causes of the accident of the small aircraft, an Embraer Bandeirante with the registration PT-SOG.
Governor Lima told O Globo newspaper that the remains had already been taken from the plane and that the deceased were Brazilian vacationers.
Lima further stated that the region experiences considerable rainfall and that the most likely reason for the disaster was an error in landing route.
