In a devastating incident near São Paulo, a passenger plane crashed on Friday, resulting in the loss of all 62 people on board. Brazilian civil defence teams tirelessly worked through the night to recover the remains of the passengers, with at least 21 bodies being retrieved by Saturday morning. The São Paulo state government confirmed that two victims were identified on site, and all the recovered bodies are being transferred to São Paulo's police morgue for further investigation.

Initially, regional carrier Voepass reported that the plane was carrying 57 passengers and four crew members. However, on Saturday, the company revealed that there was another unaccounted-for passenger on the flight. This revelation raised the death toll to 62. The process of identifying the victims is being facilitated by examining the position of the bodies on the crashed plane, physical characteristics, documents, and personal belongings such as mobile phones. According to firefighter Maycon Cristo, once all the necessary evidence is collected, the victims will be carefully removed from the wreckage and transported to São Paulo.

To aid in the identification process, relatives of the victims have been brought to São Paulo. They will provide genetic material for DNA analysis of body parts and provide any additional information about the deceased. The São Paulo state government's civil defence coordinator, Henguel Pereira, emphasized the importance of this collaborative effort.

The tragic incident took place when an ATR-72 turboprop, owned jointly by Airbus and Leonardo under the Franco-Italian ATR brand, was flying from Cascavel in Paraná to São Paulo. The crash occurred in the town of Vinhedo, approximately 50 miles (80km) northwest of São Paulo, around 1:30 pm local time on Friday. ATR, the primary producer of regional turboprop planes accommodating 40 to 70 passengers, stated that its specialists are fully engaged in the investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

The country's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. Speaking at an event in southern Brazil shortly after the accident, President Silva called for a minute of silence as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in this tragic incident.

As authorities continue their investigation into this plane crash, the nation mourns the loss of all 62 individuals who were on board. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends affected by this terrible tragedy.