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Son of Sao Paulo governor killed in helicopter crash

April 3, 2015

Five people lost their lives when a helicopter they were in crashed into a house on the outskirts of the Brazilian metropolis Sao Paulo. The state governor's youngest son was among those killed, Brazilian officials say.

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Brasilien - Fünf Tote bei Helikopter-Absturz
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Sebastiao Moreira

The Eurocopter EC-155 B1 went down Thursday afternoon local time, crashing into an unfinished building in a residential neighborhood in the town of Carapicuiba and killing everybody on board. The building was reportedly empty at the time of the accident, and no one on the ground was hurt.

Thomaz Rodrigues Alckmin, the youngest son of the state governor, Geraldo Alckmin, was among the victims, the Sao Paulo state government confirmed in an online statement Friday. He is survived by two daughters.

The 31-year-old was a professional pilot, who was making a post-maintenance test flight at the time of the crash, according to the police. However, it remains unclear whether he was in charge of the aircraft at the moment of the accident.

The causes of the crash were still being investigated, police said.

The Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo has more than 250 helipads with more than 400 helicopters in use statewide, according to media reports.

dj/rc (AFP, dpa, lusa)