Small Plane Crashes Into Bingo Hall Crowd

A small plane carrying a television camera crew crashed into a light pole then slammed into a crowd of people gathering for a bingo game, killing eight people and injuring seven others, police said Monday.

The accident occurred late Sunday in the historic city of Conselheiro Lafaiete, 155 miles north of Rio.

The plane, carrying the pilot and TV cameramen, was swooping low over the city when it clipped the pole and fell on the crowd of about 2,000 people, Minas Gerais state trooper Edmar Guia said by telephone.

The two cameramen worked for a local TV station, but the stations denied they were on assignment when the crash occurred.

Bingo games draw large crowds during Brazil’s winter festivals, which run from June to August.

The pilot and the cameramen suffered only light injuries.