Pictured: Four Brazilian footballers killed in plane crash alongside club president as they travelled separately from rest of the squad after testing positive for Covid
- Identities of four Brazilian footballers killed in a plane crash have been revealed
- Guilherme Noe, 28, Lucas Praxedes, 23, Ranule Gomes dos Reis, 27, and Marcus Molinari, 23, were killed in the crash in Tocantins state on Sunday
- Also killed were Palmas FR president Lucas Meira, 32, and pilot Wagner Machado
- Players had been travelling to their first game with the club, and were kept separate from the rest of the team after testing positive for Covid
These are the first pictures of the victims of yesterday’s plane crash which claimed the lives of four Brazilian footballers and their club president.
Defensive midfielder Guilherme Noe, 28; left back Lucas Praxedes, 23; goalie Ranule Gomes dos Reis, 27; and striker Marcus Molinari, 23, were killed along with Palmas FR president Lucas Meira, 32, and pilot Wagner Machado, 59.
The footballers had just joined the fourth-tier club and were yet to make their debuts.
Tragedy struck as their plane plunged to the ground and burst into flames at the end of the runway while taking off in the northern Brazilian state of Tocantins.
They were on their way to the central region of Goiania to play a cup match against Vila Nova, and were traveling separately to the rest of the team because they had tested positive for Covid-19.
Defensive midfielder Guilherme Noe, 28 (left); and left back Lucas Praxedes, 23 (right); were revealed as two of the four Palmas FR players killed in a plane crash at the weekend
Goalkeeper Ranule Gomes dos Reis, 27 (left); and striker Marcus Molinari, 23; were also among those who died in the crash
Team bosses revealed their positive diagnosis after the tragedy struck, adding that they had reached their last day of self-isolation ahead of the flight.
Brazilian side Chapecoense, which lost 19 players in a crash in 2016 after their plane ran out of fuel near the Colombian city of Medellin, led tributes to the players online.
The club tweeted: ‘The news of the plane crash that claimed the lives of several players as well as the president of Palmas FR has caused us great sadness.
‘Unfortunately we know what his moment of insurmountable pain caused by irreparable loss is like.
Club president Lucas Meira, 32 (left); and pilot Wagner Machado, 59 (right) were also killed in the tragedy which struck on Sunday
Tragedy struck as the plane plunged into the ground shortly after take-off, with the cause of the crash still under investigation
‘We wouldn’t want any other club to feel the same.
‘We would like to express our complete solidarity to the mens’ family and friends and club supporters.
‘You will not go through this alone.’
Other clubs also sent messages of support to the team hit by the tragedy.
The accident happened around 8.15am local time on Sunday.
Palmas FR said in a statement, in which it named the six men who died: ‘At this moment of pain and consternation the club asks for prayers for their families, who will be given the support they need.’
The pilot of the plane that went down has been described as ‘very experienced’ by friends. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.