A twin-engine aircraft has crashed in north-east Brazil, killing¹ all 16 people on board.

一架双引擎飞机在巴西东北部地区坠毁，舱内16人全部死亡。

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Firefighters said there were no survivors from the crash
The crew had reported problems almost immediately after take-off from the city of Recife, officials said.

They said the pilot had apparently³ tried to land on the beach near Recife, but the plane came down on an empty lot and burst into flames.

Authorities say they believe weather was not a factor in the crash, which they are now investigating.

Firefighters said the blaze was quickly brought under control.

According to the authorities, the plane came down on wasteland between two Recife neighbourhoods - Piedade and Boa Viagem.

Brazilian media reported that the crash scene was just 150m from the beach and in a residential⁴ area.

A circus（马戏团） had been pitched on the site a fortnight previously⁵, reports said.

"I saw a woman in a window [of the plane] asking for help and it just exploded" witness Erandir Rodriguez told the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.

"There was nothing to be done."

The twin-engined L410 was operated by Noar Airlines and took off from Recife at 0615 (0915 GMT), officials said.

It was en route（在途中） to Mossoro via Natal⁶.

Noar Airlines has been operating for about a year, running short flights in north-east Brazil.