Brazilian presidential candidate’s plane crashes

A Cessna 560XL aircraft carrying Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos has crashed in the residential district of Salem in the city of Santos, Brazil, according to the Brazilian Airforce and sources in Campos’s political party the Brazilian Socialist Party – Partido Socialista Brasileiro.

The plane lost contact with air traffic control shortly before 10am local time as it was preparing to land. Television images showed smoke billowing from the crash site. A police spokesman said there were ‘certainly’ fatalities in the crash, but could not say how many people were involved or comment on their identity. Campos’s vice presidential candidate Marina Silva was not on board the aircraft.

Brazilian television channel ‘Global TV´are reporting confirmation that the seven passengers on board including Eduardo Campos have died.