Ten family members tragically lost their lives when a private aircraft crashed in the southern Brazilian city of Gramado.
Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, a Brazillian businessman and the pilot of the plane, perished in the incident alongside his wife, three daughters, and several other relatives, according to a statement issued by his company.
During its descent, the small aircraft reportedly collided with a building’s chimney, as well as a residence and a shop. Local officials have reported that 17 individuals on the ground sustained injuries from the crash, with two in serious condition.
Mr Galeazzi, 61, was taking his family on a journey to Jundiaí, located in the state of São Paulo, as per reports from Brazilian media. All ten individuals who died in the crash were related to Mr Galeazzi,
The aircraft is said to have travelled three kilometres before descending into the city’s urban area just minutes after takeoff on Sunday morning.
Images from the scene showed emergency personnel attending to the smoking wreck amidst the debris from severely damaged structures.
Mr. Galeazzi served as the chief executive of Galeazzi & Associados, a corporate restructuring and crisis management firm in São Paulo. The company released a statement on LinkedIn honouring the 61-year-old.
“Luiz Galeazzi will be forever remembered for his commitment to his family and for his outstanding career as the leader of Galeazzi & Associados,” the statement said.
It also expressed sympathy to all those impacted by the incident in the area, adding that it would collaborate with the investigations into the crash.
Gramado is a well-known tourist attraction, recognised for hosting events during the holiday season.
