This handout picture released by the Mato Grosso do Sul Fire Department shows a crashed plane where Chinese architect Yu Kongjian died along with three other occupants at the Pantanal's wetlands in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil on September 23, 2025. Photo: CFP

By Brasil 247 - A small aircraft crashed Tuesday night (Sept. 23) in the rural area of Aquidauana, in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state, killing four people. The incident was confirmed by local police and the news outlet g1. The crash occurred near Fazenda Barra Mansa, a tourist ranch popular with visitors from Brazil and abroad.

According to Ana Cláudia Medina, a police official from the Department for the Repression of Corruption and Organized Crime (Dracco), the victims included three Brazilians and one Chinese national. They were identified as pilot and plane owner Marcelo Pereira de Barros; Chinese landscape architect Yu Kongjian; Brazilian filmmaker Luiz Fernando Feres da Cunha Ferraz; and Rubens Crispim Jr. 

Friends of Ferraz said he and Yu were collaborating on a documentary about the concept of "sponge cities," an urban design approach that seeks to improve drainage systems and reduce flooding risks. Ferraz was widely recognized for his work on environmental and urban development projects.

The aircraft, a small Cessna model, was on a private flight when it went down. Police investigators and fire crews were deployed to recover the bodies and determine the cause of the accident. Authorities noted that the crash site, in a remote part of the Pantanal, presents logistical challenges for both rescue and forensic teams.

Investigators will also examine whether the region's harsh environmental conditions — the Pantanal alternates between severe droughts and floods — may have played a role. As of now, officials have reported no evidence of mechanical failure or other contributing factors.

(Reported by Brasil 247 on September 24, 2025)