By: Delisa Morris
News Reporter, South America
Eduardo Campos, Brazilian presidential candidate, was reportedly aboard a plane that crashed in Brazil today. Campos, 49, was a front – runner for the Brazilian presidency. The plane crashed in the coastal town of Santos, São Paulo.
Campos, was the leader of the Brazilian Socialist Party and was reportedly out of contact with his team since 9:30 a.m. According to witnesses, the plane crashed into three homes in Santos on the coast of São Paulo around 10 a.m. First responders report that there were at least ten casualties.
Representative Julio Delgado said “[w]e’re stunned. It seems that there are no survivors. It seems we have lost Eduardo. Eduardo could not land, there are no survivors in the aircraft. It’s an irreparable loss.”
Brazilian air authorities report that the downed plane was a Cessna 560XL. The plane had been flying from Rio de Janeiro to Guarajá in São Paulo state. In bad weather, the plane prepared to land in São Paulo when air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft.
The Brazilian Air Force released a statement. “The Air Force Command reports that on Wednesday, around 10am, an aircraft Cessna 560XL, prefix PR-AFA, crashed in the city of Santos on the coast of São Paulo.
“The aircraft took off from Santos Dumon Airport in Rio de Janeiro, bound for the airport Guarajá (SP).
“When preparing for landing, the plan lunged due to bad weather. Then, the air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft.
“The Air Force has initiated investigations to determine the factors that may have contributed to the accident.”
Campos was formerly a governor of the north-eastern state of Pernambuco. Campos was one of three forerunners in the presidential election in Brazil.
The election is due to take place in October 2014.
The most recent polls put Campos third behind incumbent Dilma Rousseff, with 38 percent, and Aecio Neves, of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party.
Walter Feldman, a former representative, told Brazilian reporters he had spoken with the politician who was expecting to receive Campos. He said “Márcio França called and said it was confirmed that the prefix of the plane is Campos’s.”
Marina Silva, Campos’s running partner, was reportedly not on board the flight.
For more information, please see:
The Telegraph – Brazilian presidentail candidate Eduardo Campos’ plane thought to hae crashed in Sao Paulo state – 13 August 2014
Bloomberg – Brazil Presidential Candidate Campos Reported Dead in Crash – 13 August 2014
BBC News – Brazil presidential candidate Campos in plane crash – 13 August 2014
ABC News –Local Officials Say Brazilian Presidential Candidate Eduardo Campos Has Died in a Plane Crash – 13 August 2014
