130,000 mourn Brazil presidential candidate Eduardo Campos who died when campaign jet crashed

Renata Campos (fourth from right), wife of the late Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, and their children set a picture of the father of five on the coffin containing his remains as his running mate Marina Silva (far right) reacts durin
Renata Campos (fourth from right), wife of the late Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, and their children set a picture of the father of five on the coffin containing his remains as his running mate Marina Silva (far right) reacts during his wake in Recife on August 17, 2014. A line of mourners stretching some 3km queued to file past Campos' coffin, placed outside Recife's local government headquarters to allow people to say a final farewell. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

RECIFE, Brazil (AFP) - More than 130,000 mourners turned out to pay their respects to Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos here Sunday after the popular socialist politician's death in a plane crash last week.

A line of mourners stretching some 3km queued to file past Campos' coffin, placed outside Recife's local government headquarters to allow people to say a final farewell.

Brazil President Dilma Rousseff was in attendance as ceremonies got under way with an open air mass.

Campos, 49, died when his campaign jet slammed into houses in Santos city in bad weather on Wednesday, killing all seven people on board and setting buildings alight.

He had been running third in opinion polls for the October election.

A popular former governor of the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Campos was married with five children.

Around 250 police officers were on duty for Sunday's ceremonies, which began at 10.30am (9.30pm Singapore time).

Rousseff, who leads the polls for October's elections, was booed by sections of the crowd as she arrived for the mass.

Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and several ministers accompanied Rousseff.

Lula, a close friend of the family, wept as he embraced Campos' widow Renate after the mass, followed by Rousseff and the current second place presidential contender, Aecio Neves.

Rouseff and Lula left Recife before the burial set for 5.00pm. Campos will be laid to rest at a cemetery in Santo Amaro alongside his grandfather, Miguel Arraes, a revered local politician in north-east Brazil.

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