A small plane crashed on a street in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte on Monday, leaving at least three dead in the capital city of Minas Gerais state, firefighters told local news media.

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The accident came soon after takeoff from the Carlos Prates airport, newspaper Estado de Minas reported, citing authorities.

According to the report, the single-engine aeroplane hit three cars which caught fire in a residential area of the city.

News website,  G1, said the Cirrus Aircraft aeroplane was manufactured in 2007. Estado de Minas said there were four people on board the aircraft, including the pilot and three passengers.

According to local reports, the small plane crashed shortly after taking off from Carlos Prates Airport - the second time in seven months an aircraft has crashed on the same street.

Residents used water hoses from their homes in a desperate bid to extinguish the flames in the city's Caicaras district on Monday morning.

Residents have raised concerns about living under the flight path and demanded action from local officials.

Belo Horizonte is about 250 miles north of Rio de Janeiro and the sixth-largest city in Brazil.