Firefighters and forensic police examine the site where a hot air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire and crashed in Santa Catarina, Brazil, on Saturday morning, killing eight and injuring 13. Photo by EPA-EFE/Santa Catarina Fire Department
A hot-air balloon carrying 21 passengers caught fire and killed eight during what was to be a 45-minute tourist flight in Brazil on Saturday morning.
The tragedy occurred in a popular tourist area in rural Praia Grande in the state of Santa Catarina, The New York Times reported.
The balloon’s basket caught fire, which spread to the balloon while it was in the air and began falling after taking off at 8 a.m. local time.
“According to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket,” Praia Grande police officer Tiago Luiz Lemos told media.
“He started to lower the balloon, and when the balloon was very close to the ground, he told people to jump,” Lemos said.
Many jumped from the burning balloon, but several did not.
“The flames started to grow and because of the weight [loss], the balloon began to rise again,” Lemos explained. “It later fell because of a loss of suspension.”
The 13 survivors were taken to hospitals located nearby.
Praia Grande is a popular destination for hot-air balloonists due to its many canyons and stunning landscapes.
Each of the 20 passengers paid about $100 per ticket for the 45-minute flight that was to reach a maximum altitude of about 3,300 feet.
Investigators are on the scene to determine the fire’s cause, and federal and local governments are assisting the victims and their families.
“We are in mourning. A tragedy has happened,” Santa Catarina Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video posted on X as reported by NBC News.
“We will see how it unfolds, what happened [and] why it happened,” Mello said. “But the important thing for now is for the state structure to do what it can.”
A hot-air balloon on Sunday crashed in Brazil’s state of Sao Paulo, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11.
