RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) — At least one person was killed on Saturday after an ultralight aircraft pulling an advertising banner crashed into the sea off the famous Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, local authorities said.
According to the Fire Department, the small aircraft, a Cessna 170A owned by an advertising company, went down around 12:30 p.m. local time. The pilot, whose identity has not yet been released, was later found dead in the water.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined and will be investigated by the relevant authorities.
The incident occurred near one of the most renowned beaches in Brazil’s most visited city, drawing the attention of beachgoers and passersby. No other casualties have been reported so far.
MEANWHILE, at least 10 people were killed Saturday in a head-on collision between two vehicles on a highway in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, the Federal Highway Police said.
The crash occurred on federal highway BR-101, the country’s longest highway, near the city of Mucuri in the far south of the state.
According to local media, both vehicles caught fire after the impact, forcing authorities to close the highway as they work to determine the cause of the accident.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released. — NNN-XINHUA