Brazil: Eight killed, 13 injured in hot air balloon crash – DW – 06/21/2025
It is the second hot air balloon tragedy in less than a week in Brazil. Praia Grande is a popular destination for hot-air ballooning during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints.
At least eight people were killed when a hot air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil on Saturday.
Jorginho Mello, the governor of Santa Catarina state, where the incident occurred, took to X to express his condolences.
In a video, he said: "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."
Mello said he has 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."
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 as the basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of meters to the ground in flames.
Praia Grande, on the Atlantic coast, is a popular destination for hot-air ballooning in Brazil, especially during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints such as Saint John.
It is the second fatal balloon accident in the country in just a few days. Less than a week ago, a woman died during a hot air balloon ride in southeastern Sao Paulo state.
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DW
4 hours ago
- DW
Brazil: Eight killed, 13 injured in hot air balloon crash – DW – 06/21/2025
It is the second hot air balloon tragedy in less than a week in Brazil. Praia Grande is a popular destination for hot-air ballooning during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints. At least eight people were killed when a hot air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil on Saturday. Jorginho Mello, the governor of Santa Catarina state, where the incident occurred, took to X to express his condolences. In a video, he said: "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." Mello said he has 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." 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 as the basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of meters to the ground in flames. Praia Grande, on the Atlantic coast, is a popular destination for hot-air ballooning in Brazil, especially during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints such as Saint John. It is the second fatal balloon accident in the country in just a few days. Less than a week ago, a woman died during a hot air balloon ride in southeastern Sao Paulo state.
Int'l Business Times
15-05-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Rome Businesses Count Their Blessings With US Pope
The election of the first US pope is a godsend to businesses in Rome, as big-spending pilgrims flocking to the Vatican are also expected to spend in the Eternal City. In the historical Trastevere district with its cobblestoned streets and ancient churches, shopkeepers say tourists from the United States are usually excellent customers -- and tippers. "We're really pleased, it's great for business," restaurant owner Cristiano Bolognesi told AFP following the election of Robert Francis Prevost last week as Pope Leo XIV. Americans "don't spend as much as before, but they still have dollars. I think the impact will be felt in the coming months," he said. At Rome's City Hall, tourism councilor Alessandro Onorato said he was sure "the election of Pope Leo XIV will affect the flow of American tourists" -- an already vast market. Half of the five million people who visited the Italian capital last year were from the United States, he said. That trend continued in the first two months of 2025, with 313,000 of the 633,000 people visiting Rome hailing from the United States, he said. The election of Chicago-born Prevost has generated enthusiasm in the pontiff's homeland, which has the fourth largest Catholic population in the world. Rick, a US tourist who did not want to give his last name, looked up at the balcony on St. Peter's Basilica where the newly-elected pope made his first appearance Wednesday. He and his wife Karla said they thought Leo would attract not just proud Americans but also those disappointed by US President Donald Trump's anti-immigration message. "It's not just that (Prevost is) American, it's also the stuff he's done in other countries... his social justice mission to the Church, the world," said Karla, from Texas. "We're among the Americans who believe believe in taking care of the immigrants," said Rick. Stefano Corbari, head of the Fiavet Lazio federation of travel agencies in the region encompassing Rome, said US tourism was "doing well right now". "We already had a boom last year, and American dioceses are generally well organised. Starting next year, they'll start organising trips to Rome," he said. According to survey in February by the European Travel Commission (ETC), some 33 percent of US tourists head to Europe with a spending budget of over 200 euros a day. That is compared to 29 percent of tourists from China and 20 percent from Canada. "It's no longer the golden age when American tourists spent huge sums, but they expect a certain level of quality, and travel for a short time, so their budget is in the upper middle range," Corbari told AFP. As Prevost, Pope Leo spent much of his career in Peru and therefore "may attract South Americans, who are good clients," said restaurant owner Bolognesi. Tourism in Italy directly accounts for more than six percent of GDP, according to official figures. That rises to almost 13 percent when indirect effects -- particularly restaurants, culture and transportation -- are taken into account. The Vatican -- which reported a consolidated loss of almost 70 million euros in 2023 -- would also welcome an uptick in visitor numbers to its money-making museums. Locals' opinions may differ. Like in other European cities, residents say Rome is a victim of overtourism. Rome City Hall announced at the end of 2024 that it was considering charging for access to the famous Trevi Fountain and limiting the opening of new short-term rentals. Local authorities have said they want tourism to be "sustainable for the city and for the environment" -- a theme dear to Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis. Tourism in Italy directly accounts for more than six percent of GDP AFP
Int'l Business Times
26-04-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Up At Dawn For Front-row Seat To History At Francis's Funeral
Many had woken up at dawn while others slept in their cars before Catholic faithful poured into St Peter's Square from all corners of the globe on Saturday, fuelled by a desire to honour Pope Francis. As the first rays of the day rose over the sprawling Baroque plaza, mourners rushed towards empty chairs once they had passed through metal detectors, anxious for a front-row seat to history. Among them was Jean-Baptiste Leclezio, a 22-year-old from Lyon, who slept on the ground overnight at the seat of the Catholic Church to be among the first to enter for the funeral of Francis, who died on Monday age 88. "We took floor mats and sleeping bags and we slept there with 400 people, a lot of young people, scouts," he told AFP. "There were people singing all night but we managed to sleep," he said. Australian Eloise Bird, 38, said she was tired but happy to have made it into the square after having queued up since 5:15 am with her four children. Determined to make the most of a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" she said it had been "very hard getting in here". "There was so much pushing. The little children were just getting squished from every side," she said. "We know that it's not the end for him, God willing, he's going to heaven and he will live for eternity there," she said of the Argentine pontiff. Peruvian social worker Gabriela Lazo, 41, said she and her family had arrived on Friday in Rome and "spent the whole night here in the car". "Being at the funeral with my family and being able to hear the mass is the most beautiful thing," she said. "We would have liked to see him in person... but thank God and him that we are here at this moment." Many in the crowd were young pilgrims with flags and banners draped over their shoulders, as priests in ceremonial robes milled about under the majestic colonnades of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's famed square. Individual mourners leaned against pillars, fingering rosaries and silently reciting prayers, as television crews and cameras filled terraces overlooking the square. Security personnel admonished people for running as they rushed towards open seats, all of which were filled within an hour of the square opening at 6:00 am (0400 GMT). Andrea Ugalde, a childcare worker from Los Angeles, said she wasted no time in buying a ticket for Rome after hearing of Francis's passing, coming "straight to the cathedral" when she arrived. "I hope to get a seat, but (I) just want to be a part of it," said the 39-year-old. "He brought many people together, advocated for the sick, the homeless, poor, animals, for everything," said Ugalde. The Argentine pope, she added, was the "definition of being human."
