A FOKKER 100 aircraft from Brazil's TAM airline crashed into homes in a densely populated area of Sao Paolo yesterday, killing all 95 on board. Authorities said at least eight people were killed on the ground.
Rio de Janeiro bound flight 402 skidded over rooftops in the middle class south west neighbourhood of Parque Jabaquara, tore through the second floor of a store and then ploughed directly through several homes before coming to a stop.
The crash happened as residents were on their way to work. One eyewitness said jet fuel fell from the sky seconds before the crash, drenching a man on the ground who died after becoming engulfed in flames.
A spokesman at Sao Paolo's Congonhas regional airport said all 89 passengers and six crew members were confirmed dead. Television news reports said firefighters had removed 70 bodies from the crash site, lining them up in black plastic bags on a nearby footpath.
The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff at 8.20 a.m. (local time) just 3 km from the airport.
Chunks of fuselage, mortar and brick were strewn across a three block area where the aircraft came dawn. Hundreds of rescue workers formed human chains to remove rubble in a search for injured residents. Four residents were reportedly taken to a hospital but authorities said the injury list would probably be larger.
A TAM spokesman in Rio said the company was investigating the cause of the crash. He said friends and relatives of the victims were gathering in a room provided by TAM where medical assistance and counselling were being offered.
"They are waiting for news of whether their relatives are on the flight or not," the spokesman. Mr Jose Zivas Barreto, said.