Brazilian club Palmas died in a plane crash while travelling separately from the team after testing positive for the coronavirus, the club said. The club's president also died in the crash after the plane suddenly plunged to the ground at the end of the runway while on takeoff in the northern state of Tocantins, the team reported. The pilot also died.
The players were on their way to Goiania, in the central region of the country, to play a match against Vila Nova. The players were travelling in a private plane because they had tested positive for COVID-19, club spokesperson Izabela Martins told The AP. Martins said that Sunday would have been their last day of isolation and that the rest of the team would travel on a commercial flight.
The victims were identified as president Lucas Meira and players Lucas Praxedes, Guilherme Noé, Ranule and Marcus Molinari, the club said. The pilot was not identified. There were no survivors.
Following the plane crash that left four football players and the president of Brazilian football club Palmas dead, several internet users flooded Twitter with condolence messages. According to AP, the accident occurred on January 24 in the northern state of Tocantins. The private plane, which was on the way to Goiania, had plunged suddenly to the ground at the end of the runway while on takeoff.
The club announced that president Lucas Meira, as well as players Lucas Praxedes, Guilherme Noe, Ranule and Marcus Molinari, all died. The pilot, named Wagner, was also killed in the incident. Brazilian media reported that the players were travelling in a private plane because they had tested positive for coronavirus and Sunday would be their last day of isolation, and the rest of the players would travel on a commercial flight. In a statement, Palmas said, "We regret to report there are no survivors".
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