Brazil presidential candidate Campos dies in air crash

Eduardo Campos, leader of Brazil's Socialist Party, was energetic and hugely popular in his native north-east
The Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, 49, has died in a plane crash, party members and local officials say.

The plane carrying Mr Campos came down in bad weather in a residential area of the
port city of Santos, in Sao Paulo state.

Local reports say four other passengers and the two pilots were also killed.

President Dilma Rousseff has declared three days of national mourning and cancelled campaign events.

"The whole of Brazil is in mourning," Ms Rousseff said in a statement.

"We lost a great Brazilian today, Eduardo Campos. We lost a great comrade," she added, calling her rival a "great political leader".

'No words'

Ms Rousseff's Vice President, Michel Temer, also expressed his regret over the death of Mr Campos, who had been running third in the polls for October's election.

He said there were "no words to describe the tragedy that has befallen Brazilian politics today".

"Eduardo Campos was a politician with principles and values passed down through his family and carried with dignity and honour throughout his career in parliament and the executive," he added in a statement.