Hot-air balloon crash in Brazil kills eight people
SAO PAULO - 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. REUTERS
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Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Air-sea transfers via Changi Airport would be a win for tourists, regulars at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
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He noted, however, that over 2 million air-sea transfers were handled at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) annually before the pandemic, and that the airport serves a large population of over 86 million in the Greater Bay Area. HKIA houses a ferry terminal within its premises that connects transfer passengers to nine ports, including those in Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Passengers can skip immigration upon arrival at the airport, as long as they arrive at the airport's ferry ticketing counter 30 to 60 minutes before the ferry departs. In comparison, Mr Patel noted, the scale and long-term attractiveness of providing air-sea connectivity for T5 may seem lower, given that Changi Airport will serve around 4.18 million in Indonesia's Riau Islands and Southern Johor Coast. Ferries from TMFT go to Nongsapura in Batam, Desaru Coast in Malaysia, as well as Bintan Resorts, Lobam and Tanjung Pinang in Bintan. 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CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident
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Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Eight dead in Brazil hot-air balloon accident
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