Latest news with #JorginhoMello
Fox News
10 minutes ago
- General
- 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.
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Hot-air balloon crash in Brazil kills at least eight people
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 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.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- General
- New Straits Times
Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident
SAO PAOLO: 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. The weather conditions were clear. 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. 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. - AFP
Business Recorder
3 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident
SAO PAULO: 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. The weather conditions were clear. The basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of meters to the ground in flames. An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the accident. Praia Grande, on the Atlantic coast, is a popular destination for hot-air ballooning in Brazil. That 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.
Qatar Tribune
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Qatar Tribune
Hot air balloon crashes in southern Brazil, killing eight
dpa Rio de Janeiro Eight people died when a hot air balloon crashed in southern Brazil on Saturday, authorities said. The governor of the state of Santa Catarina, Jorginho Mello, wrote on X that 21 people were on board the balloon. The accident occurred in the morning in Praia Grande, a small town near the border with the state of Rio Grande do Sul that draws many tourists for balloon rides to view the chain of deep canyons and striking rock formations in the surrounding region. Videos on social media showed the burning balloon in the air and the basket crashing to the ground. The cause of the fire was initially unclear. At the time, the sun was shining in the region. The accident occurred just a few days after a similar incident in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, in which a 27-year-old woman was killed in a balloon crash, according to the news portal G1. More than 30 people were on board the balloon in São Paulo, 11 of whom were injured.
