A CHINESE architect and two Brazilian filmmakers were among four killed when a light plane slammed into the ground and exploded in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands.
The plane went down during a landing maneuver on Tuesday night, exploding on impact and leaving the victims’ bodies charred.
The site of a plane crash site in the vast wetlands of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil[/caption]
Architect Yu Kongjian died in the horror crash[/caption]
The accident happened at Barra Mansa farm, a tourist hotspot in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul — famous as a filming location for the hit soap ‘Pantanal’.
Killed in the crash were Chinese architect Kongjian Yu, documentary filmmakers Luiz Fernando Feres da Cunha Ferraz and Rubens Crispim Jr., and pilot Marcelo Pereira de Barros, who owned the aircraft.
According to the Fire Department, the Cessna 175 — built in 1958 and registered PT-BAN — spun out of control as it approached the runway.
Firefighters rushed to the scene with a tractor and water truck but the aircraft was already engulfed in flames.
“The bodies of the four victims were charred,” officials confirmed, adding that the rescue operation lasted nine hours due to rough terrain and difficult access.
Yu, a professor at Peking University and director of the giant landscape architecture firm Turenscape, was hailed as one of the greatest architects of his generation.
He created the revolutionary “sponge city” concept, designing urban landscapes to absorb floodwaters and reduce climate risks.
Just days earlier, Yu had been a star attraction at the São Paulo Architecture Biennial.
He then traveled to the Pantanal region to work on a documentary called Sponge Planet, exploring his groundbreaking ideas.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
