Two dead as plane smashes into building moments after take-off leaving wreckage in street

Two people have been killed and three others injured after a small plane crashed into a building in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of south-east Brazil’s Minas Gerais state

A small plane has crashed into a building in a city in south-east Brazil, killing two people and injuring three others.

Shocking images show the wreckage from the single-engine aircraft after it crashed into a residential building in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of the Minas Gerais state, on Monday. The ⁠pilot and co-pilot died, while three passengers were ⁠seriously injured and taken to João XXIII Hospital, the local fire department said in a ‌statement.

The plane took off from Pampulha Airport in Belo Horizonte at 12.16pm local time and crashed into a building in the Silveira neighbourhood shortly after take-off, Brazilian outlet G1 reports.

Residents near the crash site said they were startled by how low the aircraft was flying. Fabiana Parreiras told the outlet: “I was in my room with the window wide open. I heard the noise was from a plane flying very low. I caught the moment it passed and veered away from my building. I immediately imagined something was going to happen. Unfortunately, it did.”

The pilot reportedly told Pampulha Airport control tower he was experiencing difficulties during take-off. According to records from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, the aircraft was an EMB-721C model, manufactured in 1979.

The Brazilian Air Force has deployed investigators to determine the cause of the crash. The Civil Police of Minas Gerais are also investigating the case.