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At least eight cancer doctors who were on their way to an oncology conference were among the dozens killed in a plane crash in Vinhedo, Brazil, on Friday, an official said.
The ATR 72 twin-engine plane with 58 passengers and four crew members was en route to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport when it nosedived and crashed in Vinhedo, according to Voepass Airlines, which operated the plane.
On Saturday, emergency crews confirmed that the remains of 62 victims, including one unaccounted for, had been recovered.
An official of the Regional Medical Council said the deaths of eight doctors have been confirmed.
“These doctors were going to an oncology conference. These are people who have dedicated their lives to saving others,” said Eduardo Baptistella. Daily Mail.
A total of 15 doctors were supposed to travel on the flight for the conference, but seven of them had received earlier service, he said.
The Uopeccan Cancer Hospital in Cascavel confirmed to BBC Brazil that two of its trainee doctors were among the dead.
Paraná state governor Rathinho Jr. was quoted as saying that at least eight doctors were on board and that the dead included four professors from Uniost University in western Paraná.
Rescue workers and Brazilian emergency teams said the bodies of most of the victims – 34 men and 28 women – had been transferred to Sao Paulo’s police morgue for identification.
The bodies of the pilot and co-pilot were identified earlier Saturday, Vinhedo Mayor Dario Pacheco said.
Among the victims were four dual nationals, three Venezuelan nationals and a Portuguese woman, according to regional airline Voepass.
Firefighters at the scene of the accident said authorities were using belongings such as seat assignments, physical characteristics, documents and mobile phones to identify the victims.
Family members of the dead have been taken to Sao Paulo and are providing DNA samples to help identify the remains, state civil defense coordinator Henguel Pereira said.
Three Venezuelans and one Portuguese woman were among the four victims with dual citizenship, according to Veepass officials.
A 4-year-old boy, his mother and grandmother are Venezuelans, local outlet Globo News reported. The boy’s dog was also reportedly on the plane, which later took the family to Colombia.
Investigators are examining the plane’s “black box,” Marcelo Moreno, head of the Brazilian Air Accident Investigation Center, told a news conference in Vinhedo.
