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Brazil presidential candidate Campos dies in air crash | Brazil presidential candidate Campos dies in air crash |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, 49, has died in a plane crash, party members and local officials say. | The Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, 49, has died in a plane crash, party members and local officials say. |
The plane carrying Mr Campos came down in bad weather in a residential area of the port city of Santos, in Sao Paulo state. | The plane carrying Mr Campos came down in bad weather in a residential area of the port city of Santos, in Sao Paulo state. |
Local reports say four other passengers and the two pilots were also killed. | Local reports say four other passengers and the two pilots were also killed. |
President Dilma Rousseff has declared three days of national mourning and cancelled campaign events. | President Dilma Rousseff has declared three days of national mourning and cancelled campaign events. |
"The whole of Brazil is in mourning," Ms Rousseff said in a statement. | "The whole of Brazil is in mourning," Ms Rousseff said in a statement. |
"We lost a great Brazilian today, Eduardo Campos. We lost a great comrade," she added, calling her rival a "great political leader". | "We lost a great Brazilian today, Eduardo Campos. We lost a great comrade," she added, calling her rival a "great political leader". |
Ms Rousseff's Vice-President, Michel Temer, also expressed regret over the death of Mr Campos, who had been running third in opinion polls for October's election. | |
He said there were "no words to describe the tragedy that has befallen Brazilian politics today". | He said there were "no words to describe the tragedy that has befallen Brazilian politics today". |
"Eduardo Campos was a politician with principles and values passed down through his family and carried with dignity and honour throughout his career in parliament and the executive," he added in a statement. | "Eduardo Campos was a politician with principles and values passed down through his family and carried with dignity and honour throughout his career in parliament and the executive," he added in a statement. |
'Dedicated' | |
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Rio de Janeiro says Brazil has been rocked by the news. | The BBC's Wyre Davies in Rio de Janeiro says Brazil has been rocked by the news. |
Brazilian television broadcast a continuous loop of images of the wreckage, a smouldering pit between buildings of several storeys. | |
Mr Campos' family had actively opposed Brazil's military rule (1964-1985). | Mr Campos' family had actively opposed Brazil's military rule (1964-1985). |
A married father of five children, he served two terms as governor of the north-eastern Pernambuco state. | A married father of five children, he served two terms as governor of the north-eastern Pernambuco state. |
His vice-presidential candidate, Marina Silva, a popular politician and a former government minister, was reportedly meant to have been on the plane with him but decided not to travel. | His vice-presidential candidate, Marina Silva, a popular politician and a former government minister, was reportedly meant to have been on the plane with him but decided not to travel. |
"I learned to respect him, admire him and trust his attitudes and his ideals in life," Ms Silva told reporters in Santos. | |
"Eduardo was dedicated to these ideals until the last seconds of his life. (...) He was full of joy, dreams, commitments," the prominent politician said. | |
The United States said it was "deeply saddened" by the news, calling it a "tragic occasion". | |
Bad weather | |
Mr Campos was flying from Rio de Janeiro to Guaruja airport, outside Sao Paulo, when it hit bad weather, aviation authority spokesman Pedro Luis Farcic said. | Mr Campos was flying from Rio de Janeiro to Guaruja airport, outside Sao Paulo, when it hit bad weather, aviation authority spokesman Pedro Luis Farcic said. |
According to air force officials, air traffic control lost contact with the plane after it was unable to land at Guaruja. | |
It plunged into several houses in a densely-populated neighbourhood, sending plumes of smoke into the air. | It plunged into several houses in a densely-populated neighbourhood, sending plumes of smoke into the air. |
Local residents said the sky was cloudy and it was raining at the time of the crash. | Local residents said the sky was cloudy and it was raining at the time of the crash. |
All seven people aboard the plane, including a campaign photographer and cameraman, a press adviser, as well as two pilots, died in the crash, City Hall press officer Patricia Fagueiro told the Associated Press news agency. | All seven people aboard the plane, including a campaign photographer and cameraman, a press adviser, as well as two pilots, died in the crash, City Hall press officer Patricia Fagueiro told the Associated Press news agency. |
The Brazilian Air Force reported the plane was a Cessna 560XL. | The Brazilian Air Force reported the plane was a Cessna 560XL. |