This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/6903837.stm
The article has changed 23 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| 'Many dead' in Brazil plane crash | 'Many dead' in Brazil plane crash |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Scores of people are feared dead after a passenger plane carrying 176 people crashed at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, starting a major fire. | Scores of people are feared dead after a passenger plane carrying 176 people crashed at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, starting a major fire. |
| The state governor said the chances of finding survivors were "practically nil", while a fire official said more may have been killed on the ground. | The state governor said the chances of finding survivors were "practically nil", while a fire official said more may have been killed on the ground. |
| The TAM airlines Airbus A320 is thought to have slid off the end of the runway as it landed in very wet conditions. | The TAM airlines Airbus A320 is thought to have slid off the end of the runway as it landed in very wet conditions. |
| Concerns had been raised about the safety of the runway during heavy rain. | Concerns had been raised about the safety of the runway during heavy rain. |
| There had been persistent, heavy rain in the two hours preceding the accident. | There had been persistent, heavy rain in the two hours preceding the accident. |
| On Monday afternoon, a smaller plane skidded off the runway onto the nearby grass in similar conditions. | On Monday afternoon, a smaller plane skidded off the runway onto the nearby grass in similar conditions. |
| Major fire | Major fire |
| TAM Express flight 3054 was carrying 170 passengers and six crew when it attempted to land at Congonhas airport in the heart of Sao Paulo. | TAM Express flight 3054 was carrying 170 passengers and six crew when it attempted to land at Congonhas airport in the heart of Sao Paulo. |
| The plane was travelling to the city from Porto Alegre in the south of the country. | The plane was travelling to the city from Porto Alegre in the south of the country. |
| All of a sudden I heard a loud explosion, and the ground beneath my feet shook Elias Rodrigues JesusTAM employee In pictures: Brazil crash Critics predicted disaster | All of a sudden I heard a loud explosion, and the ground beneath my feet shook Elias Rodrigues JesusTAM employee In pictures: Brazil crash Critics predicted disaster |
| After touching down on the airport's main runway at 1850 (2150 GMT), the passenger jet skidded before sliding across a busy road in a residential area. | After touching down on the airport's main runway at 1850 (2150 GMT), the passenger jet skidded before sliding across a busy road in a residential area. |
| It then struck a depot used by TAM for storing cargo and some fuel. | It then struck a depot used by TAM for storing cargo and some fuel. |
| Brazilian television has been showing pictures of a major fire at the scene and the emergency services have arrived in large numbers to deal with the aftermath of the accident. | Brazilian television has been showing pictures of a major fire at the scene and the emergency services have arrived in large numbers to deal with the aftermath of the accident. |
| An eyewitness, TAM employee Elias Rodrigues Jesus, said the plane had exploded after slamming into the depot. | An eyewitness, TAM employee Elias Rodrigues Jesus, said the plane had exploded after slamming into the depot. |
| "All of a sudden I heard a loud explosion, and the ground beneath my feet shook," he told the Associated Press. | "All of a sudden I heard a loud explosion, and the ground beneath my feet shook," he told the Associated Press. |
| "I looked up and I saw a huge ball of fire, and then I smelled the stench of kerosene and sulphur." | "I looked up and I saw a huge ball of fire, and then I smelled the stench of kerosene and sulphur." |
| A doctor at Sao Paulo's morgue said 30 bodies badly charred bodies had been brought in. | |
| Safety concerns | Safety concerns |
| The BBC's Gary Duffy in Sao Paolo says the weather has been bad for much of the day and there has been concern for some time about safety at Congonhas during heavy rain. | The BBC's Gary Duffy in Sao Paolo says the weather has been bad for much of the day and there has been concern for some time about safety at Congonhas during heavy rain. |
| In February, a judge briefly banned flights in and out of the airport, which is the busiest in Brazil. | In February, a judge briefly banned flights in and out of the airport, which is the busiest in Brazil. |
| Pilots had complained that water was pooling on the surface of the landing strip, making braking difficult and occasionally causing planes to skid out of control. | Pilots had complained that water was pooling on the surface of the landing strip, making braking difficult and occasionally causing planes to skid out of control. |
| Remedial work, including laying a new surface, has been carried out in recent months. | Remedial work, including laying a new surface, has been carried out in recent months. |
| However, a much smaller plane skidded off the runway before stopping on grass in similar weather conditions on Monday. No-one was injured in the incident. | However, a much smaller plane skidded off the runway before stopping on grass in similar weather conditions on Monday. No-one was injured in the incident. |
| Air safety in Brazil has been a major issue since a crash last year when a passenger plane collided with an executive jet over the Amazon, our correspondent says. | Air safety in Brazil has been a major issue since a crash last year when a passenger plane collided with an executive jet over the Amazon, our correspondent says. |
| Some 154 people died in that incident, which was the worst air crash in the country's history. | Some 154 people died in that incident, which was the worst air crash in the country's history. |
| Are you near the scene? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below: | Are you near the scene? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below: |
| You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial +447725100100. At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial +447725100100. At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |
| Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video | Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video |