SAO PAULO, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a small aircraft crash in the seaside city of Capao da Canoa, Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, on Friday has risen to four, authorities said.
Fire authorities said the victims were the pilot, the co-pilot and two businesspeople.
The crash occurred around 10:40 a.m. local time when the plane, bound for Ibitinga in the state of Sao Paulo, went down into a closed restaurant in a residential area.
Preliminary reports cited by local media outlet Radio Gaucha said the single-engine plane was flying at low altitude when it began losing height and crashed.
Footage recorded by the city's security cameras captured the moment the aircraft crashed, followed by an explosion. Images shared by residents on RBS TV showed a mushroom cloud of fire shooting up.
Nearby homes were damaged, but residents were evacuated and no additional injuries were reported.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
Brazil's civil aviation regulator identified the aircraft as a Piper JetPROP DLX. ■
