Fiery hot-air balloon tragedy kills at least 8 people: 'We are in mourning'
A hot-air balloon carrying 21 people in Brazil caught fire Saturday morning and crashed, killing at least eight people, Santa Catarina's military fire brigade said.
The crash happened in Santa Catarina, a state in Brazil's south, after the fire started in the basket, forcing the pilot to attempt to land, officials said.
Video shared on social media shows black smoke billowing over the deflated balloon as it hurtles toward the ground in a wooded area near the town of Praia Grande, which is popular for hot-air ballooning.
The 13 survivors, including the pilot, were taken to hospitals with unknown injuries.
The survivors managed to live by jumping out of the balloon when the fire first began, officials said.
The balloon at first began to rise again once some of the passengers had jumped out.
"These people ended up dying — four charred, and another four jumped out of the balloon when it was falling," Lt. Col. Zevir Cipriano Jr. said.
"We are in mourning," Santa Catarina Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X. "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."
He added that he's asked authorities "to do as much as possible" to help the victims and their families.
Three of the victims died hugging each other, Santa Catarina's civil police force Chief Ulisses Gabriel said on social media.
"It hurts the soul," he said.
Costing $100 per person, the ride was expected to be 45 minutes long and reach 3,280 feet. It's not clear what height the balloon was at when it started to fall.
"Despite all necessary precautions and the efforts of our pilot — who has extensive experience and followed all recommended procedures in an attempt to save everyone on board the balloon — we are suffering from the pain caused by this tragedy," the hot-air balloon company Sobrevoar said in a statement.
Sobrevoar added that it had followed all regulations for the ride and had a clear record previously. It is now suspending its operations indefinitely.
Around 25 to 30 hot-air balloon trips leave daily from the area, the government said.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with the victims' families and said the federal government was available to help with the investigation.
Last Sunday, another hot-air balloon crashed in Brazil's state of São Paulo, killing one woman and injuring 11 others.
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Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
Fiery hot-air balloon tragedy kills at least 8 people: 'We are in mourning'
A hot-air balloon carrying 21 people in Brazil caught fire Saturday morning and crashed, killing at least eight people, Santa Catarina's military fire brigade said. The crash happened in Santa Catarina, a state in Brazil's south, after the fire started in the basket, forcing the pilot to attempt to land, officials said. Video shared on social media shows black smoke billowing over the deflated balloon as it hurtles toward the ground in a wooded area near the town of Praia Grande, which is popular for hot-air ballooning. The 13 survivors, including the pilot, were taken to hospitals with unknown injuries. The survivors managed to live by jumping out of the balloon when the fire first began, officials said. The balloon at first began to rise again once some of the passengers had jumped out. "These people ended up dying — four charred, and another four jumped out of the balloon when it was falling," Lt. Col. Zevir Cipriano Jr. said. "We are in mourning," Santa Catarina Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X. "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." He added that he's asked authorities "to do as much as possible" to help the victims and their families. Three of the victims died hugging each other, Santa Catarina's civil police force Chief Ulisses Gabriel said on social media. "It hurts the soul," he said. Costing $100 per person, the ride was expected to be 45 minutes long and reach 3,280 feet. It's not clear what height the balloon was at when it started to fall. "Despite all necessary precautions and the efforts of our pilot — who has extensive experience and followed all recommended procedures in an attempt to save everyone on board the balloon — we are suffering from the pain caused by this tragedy," the hot-air balloon company Sobrevoar said in a statement. Sobrevoar added that it had followed all regulations for the ride and had a clear record previously. It is now suspending its operations indefinitely. Around 25 to 30 hot-air balloon trips leave daily from the area, the government said. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with the victims' families and said the federal government was available to help with the investigation. Last Sunday, another hot-air balloon crashed in Brazil's state of São Paulo, killing one woman and injuring 11 others.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hot-air balloon in Brazil catches fire and falls from the sky, killing 8 and injuring 13
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday in Brazil 's southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people, firefighters said. Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon in flames as it hurtled toward the ground in the municipality of Praia Grande. On a video on social media, two people can be seen falling through the air as the fire spread onboard the aircraft. Three people died hugging each other, said Ulisses Gabriel, chief of Santa Catarina's civil police force, on X. 'It hurts the soul.' Thirteen people survived and were taken to hospitals, Santa Catarina's military fire brigade said, adding that 21 people were on board including the pilot. '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,' Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X. 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.' Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with victims' families and said he was placing the federal government at the disposal of victims and local authorities. 'According to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket and then he began to lower the balloon. When the balloon was very close to the ground, he ordered people to jump out of the basket,' Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper quoted Praia Grande head police officer Tiago Luiz Lemos as saying. "Some of them didn't manage to jump. The fire increased and the balloon ended up falling,' Lemos added. G1 reported that the balloon's expected flight time was 45 minutes, with the balloon reaching 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) , and cost 550 reais (around $100) per passenger. Sobrevoar, the company responsible for the multicolored balloon, said it complied with all regulations and had a clean accident record prior to Saturday. 'Despite all necessary precautions and the efforts of our pilot — who has extensive experience and followed all recommended procedures in an attempt to save everyone on board the balloon — we are suffering from the pain caused by this tragedy,' it said in a statement. Sobrevoar added that it was suspending all operations for an indefinite period. Praia Grande is a common destination for hot-air ballooning, a popular activity in parts of southern Brazil. The area is famous for its dramatic canyon landscapes and is known as the 'Brazilian Cappadocia,' a reference to a region in central Turkey famed worldwide for stunning hot-air balloon rides. Last Sunday, a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people, G1 reported.
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Hot-air balloon in Brazil catches fire and falls from the sky, killing 8 and injuring 13
A hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday in Brazil 's southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people, firefighters said. Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon in flames as it hurtled toward the ground in the municipality of Praia Grande. On a video on social media, two people can be seen falling through the air as the fire spread onboard the aircraft. Advertisement A hot-air balloon (not pictured) caught fire and fell down in Brazil, killing eight people. AFP via Getty Images Thirteen people survived and were taken to hospitals, Santa Catarina's military fire brigade said, adding that 21 people were on board including the pilot. '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,' Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X. Advertisement 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.' Hot air balloons are pictured during the 35th Hot Air Balloon International Festival, in Torres, Brazil, on April 03, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 'According to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket and then he began to lower the balloon. When the balloon was very close to the ground, he ordered people to jump out of the basket,' Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper quoted Praia Grande head police officer Tiago Luiz Lemos as saying. 'Some of them didn't manage to jump. The fire increased and the balloon ended up falling,' Lemos added. Advertisement G1 reported that the balloon's expected flight time was 45 minutes, with the balloon reaching 1000 meters, and cost 550 reais (around $100) per passenger. 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 St. John, whose feast day is on June 24. Last Sunday, a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people, G1 reported.
