Brazil presidential candidate dies in air crash

Eduardo Campos is confirmed dead. The leadership of Brazilian Socialist Party (PBS), where he was the third leading presidential candidate for the 2014 General Elections next October, reported there are no survivors in the plane where Campos was flying, which crashed today.

In the morning, a spokesperson for Campos's running mate Marina Silva said the candidate was on board the aircraft and was awaited by Silva in Guarujá airport to campaign together in an event in Santos, a coastal city in São Paulo.

According to the Fire Department, the aircraft crashed around 10am in a residential area in the Boqueirão neighborhood in Santos.

According to the Air Force Command, the aircraft, a Cessna 560XL, prefix PR-AFA, took off from Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro, bound for Guarujá Airport. When preparing for landing, the pilot started a go-around procedure due to bad weather. Then, the air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft.

The Air Force said it has started investigations to establish the circumstances leading up to the crash.

Translated by Mayra Borges