ASUNCION (Reuters) – A Paraguayan lawmaker and three other people died in a plane crash in the South American country on Saturday, local police said.
The plane crashed soon after takeoff some 180 km (112 miles) from Asuncion and killed Walter Harms, a legislator for the ruling Colorado party and three men who were part of his team, according to the police report.
“I receiver with deep pain the sad news about the passing of our colleague, friend and brother of dreams Walter Harms,” Paraguay’s Vice-president Pedro Alliana said on the social media platform X.
Images on social media showed burning wreckage in a field. According to the police report, the plane hit a tree during takeoff and erupted in flames while falling to the ground.
(Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Daniel Wallis)