Recovery teams have removed at least 21 bodies as investigation into the cause of the crash continues.

Recovery efforts are ongoing after a tragic plane crash in Brazil on Friday, which has claimed the lives of 62 people. The ATR-72 turboprop, operated by regional airline Voepass, was en route from Cascavel to Sao Paulo when it crashed in Vinhedo, a town located around 80 km (50 miles) from the city of Sao Paulo, at approximately 1:30 pm local time.

At least 21 bodies were recovered by Saturday morning, with two victims identified at the crash site. Brazilian civil defence teams have been working tirelessly through the night to remove the remains, with all bodies being transported to the police morgue in Sao Paulo for further examination.

Initially, Voepass reported 57 passengers and four crew members aboard, but later confirmed the presence of an additional passenger, bringing the total number of casualties to 62. The identification process is being assisted by physical characteristics, documents, and belongings such as cell phones, with relatives of the victims providing DNA samples to aid in the identification of body parts.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. ATR, the Franco-Italian manufacturer of the aircraft, has dispatched specialists to assist in determining the circumstances surrounding the incident.