Brazilian plane crash kills 19 people aboard

Rio De Janeiro (Brazil), Apr 1: All 19 people aboard a Brazilian domestic flight were killed when it crashed in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state, rescue services and the airline said today.

Team airline said two crew members and 17 passengers died in the last night crash of the double propeller LET 410 near Saquarema city, about 60 miles east of Rio de Janeiro.

The plane left Macae, the base for offshore oil operations in Rio de Janeiro state, for a 40-minute flight to Rio de Janeiro city about 110 miles to the southwest.

A fire brigade official in Saquarema said it had gone down in a mountainous region between Saquarema and Rio Bonito. The terrain had made the recovery operation difficult and rescuers did not reach the plane until early today morning.

The aircraft was completely destroyed.

Agencia Estado said five of the victims worked for the construction company Hochtief, which is building an administrative complex for the state-run energy company Petrobras in Macae.

REUTERS

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