The pilot of an airliner that burst into flames after trying to land on a short, rain-slicked runway apparently tried to take off again, barely clearing rush-hour traffic on a major highway. The death toll rose today to 189 and could climb higher.

Rescue crews today pulled dozens of bodies from a plane that crashed and burst into flames at a Sao Paulo airport, as the number of people feared dead rose to 195 in what would be Brazil’s worst air disaster.

The president of Brazil declared a state of mourning after more than 200 people were feared dead in what is believed to be the country’s deadliest air disaster.