'Very sad day': Brazilian teammates killed in plane crash tragedy
The football world has been left devastated by a plane crash tragedy in Brazil that claimed five members of a team and the pilot of the aircraft.
The president of Brazilian fourth-tier soccer club Palmas, and four of the team's players, all died after a small plane taking them to a domestic cup game crashed on take-off.
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The 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 in the crash.
"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 tragic incident has left the football world shocked and saddened, with tributes being left for the victims and their families on social media.
A very sad day for Brazilian football 💔
4 players from Palmas, along with the club’s president and the pilot passed away in a tragic plane crash. There were no survivors. pic.twitter.com/TLjt0XbpNn— Brasil Football 🇧🇷 (@BrasilEdition) January 24, 2021
Awful news. May they RIP 😥
— Harry 🔴⚪🎗️ (@Umpteenthgooner) January 24, 2021
Thoughts & prayers are with their families. RIP ❤️
— #FSGOUT (@rvchyna) January 24, 2021
RIP, absolute tragedy
— Will (@WillNSNO) January 24, 2021
R.I.P 😢
— 𝓟𝓮𝓭𝓻𝓲 (@ihatemyselfcb) January 24, 2021
Just saw breaking news!
Four players and the president of the brazillian football club Palmas have tragically died in a plane crash!
🙏😪😪😪😪— Sue 🧜♀️ (@iamsuefairyz) January 24, 2021
Just seen the news about the Palmas president and 4 players being killed in a plane crash. Awful
— AyeitsmeRog 💙 (@Forefather2003) January 24, 2021
🚨| Heartbreaking news coming from Brazil.
4 players from Palmas, along with the club’s president and the pilot passed away in a tragic plane crash. There were no survivors. Rest in peace.#Palmas #PalmasPlaneCrash #Brazil #Brazilfootball pic.twitter.com/xVddHw9ITL— Sayan (@sayanafc) January 24, 2021
The victims of this tragedy:
Guilherme Noé, Lucas Praxedes, Marcus Molinari, Ranule, Lucas Meira, and Wagner.
My thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones, RIP 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/dzISpM00a3— Brasil Football 🇧🇷 (@BrasilEdition) January 24, 2021
Team was heading to play cup match
The plane was heading to Goiania, around 800 km 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 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.
with AAP
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