Tajik President Emomali Rahmon sent a telegram of condolences to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after the crash of the ATR-72 passenger plane in Sao Paulo State.
"It is with deep sadness that we received the news of the crash of a passenger plane in the state of Sao Paulo of the Federal Republic of Brazil, which led to great loss of life. In connection with this grave tragedy, I express our sincere condolences to you and the friendly people of Brazil. I ask you to convey our words of sympathy and support to the relatives and friends of the victims," reads the text of the telegram published on the official website of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The ATR-72 (PS-VPB), operating flight 2283 from Cascavel (Paraná State) to Guarulhos International Airport (São Paulo State), crashed on August 9. 62 people were killed – all passengers and crew members on board.
All the victims were Brazilian citizens, one of them also had Portuguese citizenship, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said. The crash occurred in Vinedo, about 70 kilometers northwest of Sao Paulo. The plane crashed in a residential area, but no one was injured on the ground. Brazil has declared three days of mourning.