Hot air balloon crash in Brazil kills at least eight
At least eight people have been killed after a hot air balloon carrying 21 passengers crashed in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina, local and state officials say.
The tourism balloon caught fire during the flight in early morning hours, crashing in the city of Praia Grande, according to the state fire department.
Thirteen survivors were transported to nearby hospitals, according to the fire department.
09:11 ATENDIMENTO PRÉ-HOSPITALAR local: Base de Lançamento de Balões, CIDADE, #PRAIA GRANDE - acidente envolvendo queda balão
— Emergências 193 (CBMSC) (@CBMSC193) June 21, 2025
Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon in flames as it hurdled towards the ground.
Last Sunday, a balloon fell in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 others, G1 reported.
Praia Grande is a common destination for hot-air ballooning, a popular activity in some parts of Brazil's south during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints such as Saint John.
with AP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hot-air balloon crash in Brazil kills eight people
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Eight people were killed after a hot-air balloon carrying 21 passengers, including the pilot, crashed on Saturday in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina, state officials said. The tourism balloon caught fire during the flight in early morning hours, crashing in a forest area in the city of Praia Grande, according to the state fire department. The city is a popular tourist spot for balloon trips in Brazil. The Santa Catarina government estimates that 25 to 30 hot-air balloons depart daily from Praia Grande in peak season, with most of them having capacity to transport as many as 25 people. Thirteen survivors were transported to nearby hospitals, according to the fire department. A spokesperson of the department told local news outlet CNN Brasil that none of them were with their lives at risk. In a post on X, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with the families of the victims, saying the federal government is available to local and state forces acting in the case.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident
At least eight people were killed Saturday when a hot air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil, said the governor of Santa Catarina state, where the incident occurred. "Eight fatalities and 13 survivors," governor Jorginho Mello said on X. Videos taken by bystanders and carried on Brazilian television showed the moment when the balloon erupted in flames above the coastal town of Praia Grande. The weather conditions were clear. The basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of meters to the ground in flames. "We still have no information" about the condition of the survivors, a spokeswoman for Santa Catarina firefighters told AFP. Praia Grande, on the Atlantic coast, is a popular destination for hot-air ballooning in Brazil. The survivors were being treated in area hospitals, firefighters said. An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the accident. "I want to express my solidarity with the families of the victims," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a statement. The pilot told officials that the fire was sparked by a blowtorch in the basket, Tiago Luiz Lemos, a police official in Praia Grande, told local media. The pilot tried to bring the balloon down as soon as the fire erupted, "and once it was close to the ground, he told the passengers to jump from the basket. But some of them couldn't do it and the fire grew," the official said. One witness told the Razao newspaper that he saw "two people falling, they were on fire, the basket broke off and the balloon fell." It was the second fatal balloon accident in the country in just a few days. Less than a week ago, a woman died during a ride in southeastern Sao Paulo state. ffb/sst/des
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Eight killed after hot air balloon catches fire, crashes in Brazil
At least eight people have been killed and 13 injured when a hot air balloon they were on caught fire and crashed in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina. The tourism balloon carrying 21 people went up in flames in the early hours of Saturday, crashing in the city of Praia Grande on the Atlantic coast, according to Santa Catarina's military fire brigade. Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon as it plummeted dozens of metres toward the ground. The survivors were transported to nearby hospitals, said firefighters. 'We are in mourning. A tragedy has happened. We will see how it unfolds, what happened, why it happened. But the important thing now is for the state structure to do what it can,' said Jorginho Mello, governor of Santa Catarina, in a video on X. Mello said he had asked authorities to head to the municipality 'to do as much as possible to rescue, to help, to take to hospital, to comfort the families'. Praia Grande is a common destination for hot-air ballooning, a popular activity in some parts of Brazil's south during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints such as St John, whose feast day is on June 24. Last Sunday, a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people, G1 reported.
