At least eight people have died and 13 others were injured after a hot air balloon carrying 21 passengers caught fire and crashed in Praia Grande, a coastal town in southern Brazil’s Santa Catarina state.
Governor Jorginho Mello confirmed the casualties on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Eight fatalities and 13 survivors.” The incident occurred under clear weather conditions.
Dramatic video footage aired by Brazilian television showed the balloon erupting in flames mid-air before its basket, engulfed in fire, plunged dozens of meters to the ground.
Firefighters said the injured survivors were rushed to local hospitals for treatment. However, the condition of some remains unknown.
According to police official Tiago Luiz Lemos, the pilot reported that a blowtorch inside the basket ignited the fire. He attempted an emergency descent and urged passengers to jump when the balloon neared the ground, but not all could escape before the flames intensified.
Eyewitness accounts described a horrifying scene. One told Razao newspaper, “I saw two people falling, they were on fire, the basket broke off and the balloon fell.”
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed condolences to the victims' families, stating, “I want to express my solidarity with the families of the victims.”
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the tragedy.
Praia Grande, known for hot air ballooning, was also the scene of a similar accident less than a week ago in São Paulo state, where a woman died during a balloon ride.
AFP
