At least 8 dead after hot air balloon accident in southern Brazil
At least eight people are dead following an accident involving a hot air balloon in Brazil's southern region of Santa Catarina on Saturday, according to the local governor.
'We are all shocked by the accident involving a balloon in Praia Grande, this Saturday morning. Our rescue team is already on site… So far, we have confirmed eight deaths,' local governor Jorginho Mello said on X.
He said 21 people were on board; the other 13 survived.
Video posted to social media shows a hot air balloon catching fire while in the sky. The balloon then deflates and falls to the ground.
'We saw two people fall from above, and soon after the basket broke, and the balloon fell,' an eyewitness told local media outlet Jornal Razão.
The eyewitness said she ran to see where the balloon fell and saw two survivors, 'a woman covered in mud and in a state of shock, and a man with her who was limping,' as well as two bodies.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims on X. 'I would like to place the Federal Government at the disposal of the victims and the state and municipal forces that are working on the rescue and care for the survivors,' he said.
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, the Associated Press news agency reports.
'My solidarity with the city of Praia Grande… We are in mourning. It's a tragedy that happened. We will check the developments, what happened, and why it happened,' Mello said in a video statement on X.
According to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil, Saturday's incident was the third involving a hot-air balloon in Brazil in less than a week. Last Sunday, a balloon carrying 35 people – which did not have authorization to fly – fell in São Paulo. One person died and the pilot was arrested.
Last Thursday, another balloon fell on the coast of São Paulo, although no serious damage was caused and no homes were hit.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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