At least 10 killed as plane crashes into Brazil's popular town Gramado

A small plane crashed into a Brazilian town that's popular with tourists on Sunday, killing all 10 passengers and crew on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, Brazil's Civil Defence Agency said.

The agency in a post on X said the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado. More than a dozen people who were on the ground were taken to hospitals with injuries including smoke inhalation, with two said to be in critical condition.

It is not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Local media reported that the passengers were members of the same family and were travelling to Sao Paulo state from another town in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Gramado is in the Serra Gaucha mountains and popular with Brazilian tourists who enjoy the cool weather, hiking spots and traditional architecture. The town was settled by large numbers of German and Italian immigrants in the 19th century and is a popular spot for Christmas vacations.