Four footballers die in Brazil air crash

Rio de Janeiro, Jan 25 : Four players and the president of Brazilian football club Palmas lost their lives after their plane crashed ahead of a local cup match.
President Lucas Meira and players Lucas Praxedes, Guilherme Noe, Ranule and Marcus Molinari died on Sunday when the plane plummeted to the ground shortly after takeoff at the Tocantinense airfield, near the northern city of Palmas, the club said in a statement. The pilot, identified as Wagner, was also killed, reports Xinhua news agency.
“The plane took off and crashed at the end of the runway at the Tocantinense Aviation Association. We regret to report there are no survivors,” it said.
The plane was en route to the central city of Goiania, around 800km away, for a Copa Verde match against Vila Nova on Monday.
Local media reported that the victims had travelled separately from the main squad because they were completing the last day of mandatory isolation, having previously tested positive for Covid-19.
Founded in 1997, Palmas Futebol e Regatas plays in Brazil’s Serie D.