Connect with us

News

Plane crash in São Paulo kills all 61 on board

Published

on

The twin-engine turboprop was flying from Cascavel in the southern state of Paraná to Guarulhos airport in São Paulo city when it came down in the town of Vinhedo, Voepass airline says.

Footage circulating on social media shows a plane descending vertically, spiralling as it falls.

The ATR 72-500 was carrying 57 passengers and four crew. Local authorities say there were no survivors.

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed solidarity with the families and friends of the victims.

São Paulo’s state Governor, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, declared three days of mourning.

The authorities said the flight recorders had been retrieved. ATR, the French-Italian plane maker, said it would co-operate with the investigation.

The plane landed in a residential area but no-one on the ground was injured.

Officials say only one home in a local condominium complex was damaged.

Video showed a large area on fire and smoking wreckage in an area full of houses.

Police and fire services are at the scene.

According to tracking website Flightradar24, the plane left Cascavel at 11:56 local time (14:56 GMT). The last signal received from the aircraft was about an hour and a half later.

Brazil’s civil aviation agency said the plane, which was built in 2010, had been “in good operating condition, with valid registration and airworthiness certificates”.

The four crew members on board at the time of the accident were all duly licensed and had valid qualifications, it added.

The Uopeccan Cancer Hospital in Cascavel told BBC Brasil that two of its trainee doctors were among the passengers who died.

The moment the passenger plane crashed was witnessed by local residents.

“When I heard the sound of the plane falling, I looked out my window at home and saw the moment it crashed,” Felipe Magalhaes told Reuters news agency, adding that the sight had left him “terrified”.

Another resident, Nathalie Cicari, told CNN Brasil she had been having lunch when she heard a “very loud noise very close by”, describing it like the sound of a drone but “much louder”.

“I went out on the balcony and saw the plane spinning. Within seconds, I realised that it was not a normal movement for a plane.”

It is Brazil’s worst plane crash since 2007, when a TAM Express plane crashed and burst into flames at São Paulo’s Congonhas airport, killing 199 people.

President Lula paid tribute to the victims at an event where he was speaking.

“I have to be the bearer of very bad news and I would like everyone to stand up so that we can have a minute of silence,” he told his audience.

He posted on social media that news of the crash was “very sad”. “All my solidarity to the families and friends of the victims,” he said.

The nearby town of Valinhos sent 20 emergency personnel to the crash site as part of a joint operation, local authorities said.

“Twenty men were mobilised, including three vehicles from the Valinhos Municipal Civil Guard and one vehicle from the Civil Defense,” Valinhos City Hall said in a statement.

ATR said in a statement that it had been informed of an accident involving an ATR 72-500.

“Our first thoughts are with all the individuals affected by this event,” it said.

“The ATR specialists are fully engaged to support both the investigation and the customer.”

(BBC)

BIZ

All necessary procedures to launch Starlink services in SL competed – Dy. Minister

Published

on

By

The government has completed all necessary procedures to launch Starlink services in Sri Lanka, says Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne.

According to Deputy Minister Weeraratne, once the expected information dashboard is received from Starlink, the service could be launched without any operational delays.

He made this statement while attending a bilateral meeting organized by the Sri Lankan High Commission in Singapore, held alongside the 2025 Tech Summit Asia in Singapore.

The matter was discussed during a meeting between Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne and Ambassador Stephan Lang, the United States’ Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy at the U.S. Department of State.

During the meeting, several strategic areas were also discussed.

Ambassador Lang emphasized the importance and urgency of these initiatives, describing them as both challenging and essential for Sri Lanka’s digital future. He reiterated the United States’ continued commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in implementing these transformative digital policies and programs.

(adaderana.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by adaderana.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

Continue Reading

News

2 more arrested over shooting Halloluwa’s vehicle

Published

on

By

Two more individuals have been arrested over the shooting incident targeting the vehicle of former Executive Director of the National Lotteries Board –  Thusitha Halloluwa.

According to the police, the duo was arrested by the Colombo South Divisional Crime Detective Bureau today (02).The suspects, aged 27 and 37 have been arrested in Kadawatha and Ganemulla.

According to Police, a cache of 13 rounds of T-56 type ammunition and 10 grams of the crystal methamphetamine also known as ICE were also found in the suspects’ possession.

The suspects are scheduled to be produced before the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (June 03).

Further investigations are underway.

Continue Reading

News

MoH issues update on Covid-19 situation

Published

on

By

Secretary of the Ministry of Health – Dr. Anil Jasinghe has issued a special statement with regard to the Covid-19 situation in Sri Lanka.

“According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), a global increase in the activity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, has been reported since February 2025. Based on the International Respiratory Surveillance System, several countries, including several countries in Asia have reported a notable rise in COVID-19 cases in recent months, the statement states.

In May 2023, the WHO officially declared the end of the COVID-19 global pandemic status, and since then, COVID-19 has been treated as a disease that circulates endemically, similar to other common respiratory infections. It is a known phenomenon for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to undergo genetic mutations during its transmission,” the statement added.

“It is a known phenomenon for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to undergo genetic mutations during its transmission. The currently circulating variant reported in many countries in 2024 has been identified as a sub lineage of a previously known genetic variant. In 2024, this same variant has been detected in Sri Lanka as well.”

“In May 2025, specimens tested by the Medical Research Institute (MRI) confirmed the presence of these previously identified sub-lineages. Therefore, these are not novel variants, and no evidence of increased severity or complications has been reported,” the statement further notes.

Noting that seasonal increases in respiratory illnesses like influenza are commonly observed in recent times, especially under prevailing climatic conditions, the statement states that health authorities remain vigilant in monitoring disease trends, and the public need not panic unnecessarily.

“If individuals experience fever or respiratory symptoms, there is no need for hospital admission out of fear. However, if someone experiences difficulty breathing, medical attention should be sought,” Dr. Jasinghe says.

“Nevertheless, it is important to maintain good respiratory etiquette and general health practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viral infections, such as influenza. Recommended measures include covering the mouth and nose with a tissue or the elbow when coughing or sneezing, avoiding unnecessary contact with the face, and ensuring frequent hand hygiene through proper hand washing or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. It is also advisable to avoid touching the face with unclean hands. Individuals exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness should wear a face mask to minimize the risk of transmitting the infection to others and avoid crowded public settings unless essential. Special attention must be directed towards high-risk populations, as they are more susceptible to developing complications from respiratory infections. These groups include older adults, pregnant women, and infants and young children, whose immune systems are either compromised or still developing. Furthermore, individuals with underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, chronic respiratory illnesses, diabetes, renal disease, cancer, or other chronic diseases, as well as those receiving immunosuppressive therapy, are at increased risk and require additional protection,” the statement further adds.

The full statement is as follows :

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Sri Lanka Mirror. All Rights Reserved