Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident [VIDEOS]

After the balloon erupted in flames, the basket carrying the passengers plummeted to the ground.
A rescue team member stands at the crash site after a hot air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire and plunged, in Praia Grande, State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, on 21 June 2025. Picture: Handout / Santa Catarina Fire Department / AFP
At least eight people were killed on 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.
Hot air balloon erupted in flames
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.
At least 8 people died after a hot air balloon carrying 22 crashed in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil, catching fire mid-air. #PraiaGrande #Balão #Tragédia_SC pic.twitter.com/BVy6cYjLOX — GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) June 21, 2025
The basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of metres 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.
Fire sparked by blowtorch
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.
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Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident [VIDEOS]

After the balloon erupted in flames, the basket carrying the passengers plummeted to the ground. A rescue team member stands at the crash site after a hot air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire and plunged, in Praia Grande, State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, on 21 June 2025. Picture: Handout / Santa Catarina Fire Department / AFP At least eight people were killed on 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. Hot air balloon erupted in flames 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. At least 8 people died after a hot air balloon carrying 22 crashed in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil, catching fire mid-air. #PraiaGrande #Balão #Tragédia_SC — GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) June 21, 2025 The basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of metres 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. Fire sparked by blowtorch 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. NOW READ: India's civil aviation authority says 242 people on board crashed Air India plane to London

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Eight people have died in a hot air balloon accident in Brazil. 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.

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