BY BBC
The Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, 49, has died in a plane crash, party members and local officials say.
Brazil’s Vice President Michel Temer expressed his regret over the death of Campos, who had been running third in the polls for October’s election.
The plane carrying Campos crashed in a residential area of the port city of Santos, in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state.
It is not yet clear if any of the other passengers on board were killed.
Temer said, “There are no words to describe the tragedy that has befallen Brazilian politics today.”
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“Eduardo Campos was a politician with principles and values passed down through his family and carried with dignity and honour throughout his career in parliament and the executive,” the statement added.
Campos’ family had actively opposed Brazil’s military rule (1964-1985).
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has cancelled all campaign activities for three days, her party said.
Campos’ plane was flying from Rio de Janeiro’s Santos Dumont airport to Guaruja airport outside Sao Paulo when it hit bad weather, aviation authority spokesman Pedro Luis Farcic said.
Locals said the sky was cloudy and it was raining at the time of the crash.
Police and emergency workers are at the scene in Santos, which is located 70km (43 miles) south-east of Sao Paulo.
According to Air Force officials, air traffic control lost contact with the plane after it could not land in Guaruja due to bad weather.
Firefighters said there were 10 “victims” but did not clarify if they had been injured or killed.
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