A routine takeoff turned into a deadly disaster in Brazil when a small plane slammed into a residential building just minutes after leaving the runway.
Authorities say three people were killed and two others injured after the aircraft crashed Monday in Belo Horizonte. The plane had just departed from Pampulha Airport and was en route to São Paulo when it suddenly lost altitude and veered off course.
According to the Corpo de Bombeiros Militar de Minas Gerais, the pilot and co-pilot were killed on impact. Three others were pulled from the wreckage in critical condition and rushed to Hospital João XXIII. One of those victims later died, bringing the total death toll to three.
The victims have been identified as pilot Wellinton de Oliveira Pereira, 34; Leonardo Berganholi Martins, 50; and Fernando Moreira Souto, 36 — the son of Nilo Souto, the mayor of Jequitinhonha.
Two survivors — Arthur Schaper Berganholi, 25, and Hemerson Cleiton Almeida Souza, 53 — remain hospitalized but are reported to be in stable condition.
Dramatic footage captured the terrifying moment the plane dropped rapidly from the sky before slamming into a three-story apartment building. The impact sent debris flying and triggered a frantic evacuation as residents rushed to escape.
Despite the violent crash, officials say no one inside the building was injured — a near-miracle outcome. Authorities believe the death toll could have been far worse if the aircraft hadn’t struck the building’s stairwell instead of occupied units.
Emergency crews continue to comb through the wreckage, working to secure the structure and investigate what caused the sudden loss of control.
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