The Brazilian Air Force announced on Friday that the small plane which crashed in the Amazon
rainforest region on Thursday has been found with nine survivors.
The plane has been found by Indians from the Matis tribe. According to the National Health Foundation (Funasa), which employed several of the
plane's occupants, there are nine survivors. However, the Air Force has yet to confirm that information. There is no information about the survivors' health conditions, either.
The plane, a Cessna C-98 Caravan model which belonged to the Air Force, disappeared from the radar on Thursday morning while it was flying over the state of Amazonas. The pilot sent a distress signal 58 minutes after taking off from the town of Cruzeiro do Sul, in neighboring Acre state.
According to the Air Force, the weather conditions in the area at the time of the accident were satisfactory.
Eleven people were traveling in the aircraft, four military and seven Funasa employees. The group was participating in a Health Ministry operation to vaccinate over 3,700 Indians from various tribes in the Javari Valley region, as well as other inhabitants of distant areas.
The Air Force sent the search teams to the location provided by the Matis Indians. A total of eight planes and helicopters are participating in
the search efforts.
The Brazilian Air Force confirmed on Friday that nine people survived the crash of a small plane
which crashed in the Amazon Rinforest region on Thursday morning.
According to the Air Force, the plane landed on the Itui River, in Amazonas state, and was found by Indians from the Matis tribe. The body of
one of the passengers has been located, but one of the crew members is still missing.
The plane, a Cessna C-98 Caravan model, disappeared from the radar on Thursday morning while it was flying from Cruzeiro do Sul, in Acre state, to Tabatinga, in Amazonas state.
The pilot reportedly sent a distress signal 58 minutes after taking off, the Air Force stated. It is not known what happened to the aircraft
since the weather conditions in the area at the time of the accident were said to be satisfactory.
Eleven people were traveling in the aircraft including four military and seven National Health Foundation (Funasa) employees. The group was
participating in a Health Ministry operation to vaccinate over 3,700 Indians from various tribes in the Javari Valley region, as well as other
inhabitants of distant areas.
The Air Force sent the search teams to the location and a total of eight planes and helicopters are participating in the search efforts.
Earlier in the day, the Brazilian authorities released the plane's occupants list including the crew members.