At least 9 killed in small plane crash in southern Brazil

SAO PAULO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed on Sunday morning after a small plane crashed in the tourist city of Gramado in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, authorities said.

The plane, with 10 people onboard, took off from Canela Airport near Gramado and crashed in the city of Gramado a few minutes later, the local civil defense department confirmed.

The plane first struck the chimney of a building, before crashing into a furniture store. The accident also injured 15 others on the ground, according to authorities. ■