Four football players die in Brazilian air accident

iStock [For illustration]

The president of Palmas football club and four of its players were killed on Sunday when a small plane taking them to a Brazilian cup game crashed on take-off.

The fourth tier club said president Lucas Meira, along with players Lucas Praxedes, Guilherme Noe, Ranule and Marcus Molinari, all died. The pilot, named only as Wagner, was also killed.

“The plane took off and crashed at the end of the runway at the Tocantinense Aviation Association,” a small airfield near the city of Palmas, the club said. “We regret to report there are no survivors.”

The plane was heading to Goiania, around 800 km (500 miles) away, where Palmas were due to play Vila Nova on Monday in the last-16 of the Copa Verde, a tournament reserved for teams outside the traditional powerhouses of southern and northeastern Brazil.

The club did not say what kind of a plane was involved in the air accident, which was just the latest to hit Brazilian football in recent years.

In 2016, almost the entire Chapecoense squad were killed when a plane taking them to the Copa Sudamericana final in Colombia crashed on a hillside outside Medellin.

Two years earlier, former Internacional captain Fernandao died when his helicopter crashed in the state of Goias.

More from International

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • Extra Time

    7:00pm - 8:00pm

    Chris & Robbie bring you the latest from the sporting world plus interviews with upcoming and legendary sporting stars.

  • The Night Shift with Mark Lloyd

    8:00pm - 11:00pm

    Musicians and music, entertainers and entertainment, industry gossip and songs selected by you, get ready to bring your night time to life! Every evening from eight, Mark Lloyd brings you an energetic mix of local and international content and contests, featuring an array of celebrity interviews and entertaining anecdotes. Get involved in the show and pick your favourite jukebox hits, every night from 8pm - 11pm.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Flying Taxis

    It sounds like an episode of The Jetsons, but the sight of flying taxis whizzing around our cities could be much closer than you think.

  • Tough penalties for deliberate tax evasion

    The UAE has said that tougher penalties will come into force from 1st August for not keeping proper corporate tax records.