Speaking at an event in southern Brazil on Friday afternoon, Lula called for a minute of silence for those lost in the crash, without elaborating on the source of his information.

The ATR-72 plane operated by airline Voepass Linhas Aéreas was en route from Cascavel, in the state of Parana, to Guarulhos, in São Paulo, when it crashed on Friday afternoon. Voepass said 58 passengers and four crew members were on board.

São Paulo’s fire brigade confirmed on social media that a plane crashed in the city of Vinhedo – 76 kilometers away from the state’s capital –, and that it has sent seven crews to the region of the accident.