Fiery hot-air balloon tragedy kills at least 8 people: ‘We are in mourning’
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Brazil Hot Air Balloon Crash: Mid-Air Fire Kills 8 In Santa Catarina News24 –
A hot-air balloon caught fire mid-air and crashed in a tourist region of southern Brazil. The incident occurred in the rural area of Praia Grande, located in the state of Santa Catarina. Of the 21 people on board, including the pilot, 13 survived the crash and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, the state’s governor Jorginho Mello said. The accident comes just days after another hot- air balloon mishap in São Paulo state, where one person was killed.
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According to the state’s military fire brigade, the balloon caught fire in the air and went down shortly after 8 am (local time). Of the 21 people on board, including the pilot, 13 survived the crash and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, as reported by the NYT. Rescue teams, including some 20 firefighters and seven emergency vehicles, were dispatched to the scene to assist with recovery efforts.
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The cause of the crash is still under investigation, the NYT reported, citing a statement from the Santa Catarina Governor Jorginho Mello. Mello described the event as a tragedy, as per a video posted to his social media. “We are in mourning… It is a tragedy that has happened. We will watch how it unfolds, what happened, why it happened,” he stated, as quoted by the NYT.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and confirmed that both federal and state agencies are supporting the ongoing rescue and response operations. “I would like to express my solidarity with the families of the victims of the balloon accident that occurred this Saturday morning in Santa Catarina. 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 stated in a post on X. The accident comes just days after another hot-air balloon mishap in São Paulo state, where one person was killed and 11 injured when a balloon carrying 30 people fell, as reported by the NYT.
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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. 13 survivors, including the pilot, were taken to hospitals with unknown injuries. Three of the victims died hugging each other, Santa Catarina’s civil police force Chief Ulisses Gabriel said on social media. The ride was expected to be 45 minutes long and reach 3,280 feet, but it’s not clear what height the balloon was at when it started to fall. Last Sunday, another hot- air balloon crashed in Brazil’S state of São Paulo, killing one woman and injuring 11 others. The balloon company Sobrevoar said it had followed all regulations for the ride.
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.
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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.
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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.
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Last Sunday, another hot-air balloon crashed in Brazil’s state of São Paulo, killing one woman and injuring 11 others.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Hot-air balloon blaze kills 8 in Brazil’s Santa Catarina; 13 survive fiery crash
Hot-air balloon blaze kills 8 in Brazil’s Santa Catarina; 13 survive fiery crash. Footage shows the balloon in flames as it plummets. Pilot says 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. The fire increased and the balloon ended up falling, he said. This latest tragedy comes just days after a similar incident in São Paulo state, where another balloon crashed last Sunday, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 others.
Rio de Janeiro: A hot-air balloon caught fire mid-air and plunged to the ground in Brazil’s southern state of Santa Catarina on Saturday, killing eight people, according to local firefighters, news agency AP reported.
The incident occurred in Praia Grande, a town known for hot-air ballooning. Video footage published by news outlet G1 showed the balloon engulfed in flames and trailing smoke as it rapidly descended.
Separate social media clips captured two individuals falling through the air as the fire spread inside the basket.
According to Santa Catarina’s military fire brigade, the balloon was carrying 21 people, including the pilot.
Thirteen passengers survived and were taken to nearby hospitals.
“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,” Governor Jorginho Mello said in a video posted on X.
He said he had requested emergency services to assist with rescue operations and support affected families.
Tragic visuals from Brazil: A hot-air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire mid-air and crashed in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina. 8 people died, 13 survived with injuries. Footage shows the balloon in flames as it plummets. Pilot says fire broke out in the basket.#Brazil… pic.twitter.com/va7ttvxXb9 — India Blooms (@indiablooms) June 21, 2025
Praia Grande’s chief police officer, Tiago Luiz Lemos, told Folha de São Paulo that the fire originated inside the basket.
“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,” Lemos said. “Some of them didn’t manage to jump. The fire increased and the balloon ended up falling.”
G1 reported the balloon ride was expected to last 45 minutes, reaching an altitude of 1,000 metres, with a per-passenger cost of 550 reais (about $100).
Hot-air ballooning is a popular seasonal activity in southern Brazil, particularly during June festivals that honour Catholic saints such as St. John, whose feast falls on June 24.
This latest tragedy comes just days after a similar incident in São Paulo state, where another balloon crashed last Sunday, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 others.
Hot air balloon crash in Brazil kills eight people
A hot air balloon carrying 21 passengers crashed in Brazil’s southern state of Santa Catarina, local and state officials say. A fire started in the basket, prompting the pilot to try to land the balloon. Thirteen people, including the pilot, managed to jump out but eight were unable to. The balloon’s expected flight time was 45 minutes, with the balloon reaching 1000 metres and cost 550 reais (about $A150) per passenger. The company responsible for the multi-coloured balloon said it complied with all regulations and had a clean accident record before Saturday. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with victims’ families.
Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon, which was in flames as it hurtled toward the ground in the municipality of Praia Grande.
A video on social media shows two people falling through the air as the fire spread onboard the aircraft.
Thirteen survivors were transported to nearby hospitals, according to the fire department.
Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon in flames as it hurtled towards the ground.
This screengrab taken from a video released by the Santa Catarina Fire Department shows the crash site and the wreckage of a hot air balloon that caught fire and crashed with 21 people on board. Source: AFP / Santa Catarina Fire Department The crash happened about 8am Saturday local time, military firefighter Zevir Cipriano said.
A fire started in the basket, prompting the pilot to try to land the balloon.
Thirteen people, including the pilot, managed to jump out but eight were unable to. Without the weight of the others, the balloon began rising again.
“These people ended up dying — four charred and another four jumped out of the balloon when it was falling,” Cipriano Jr said.
Three people died hugging each other, said Ulisses Gabriel, chief of Santa Catarina’s civil police force, on X.
“It hurts the soul.”
A member of the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) walks next to the wreckage of the hot air balloon. Source: AFP / Silvio Avila “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,” Governor Jorginho Mello said in a video on X.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio 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.
Mello said he had 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”.
The balloon’s expected flight time was 45 minutes, G1 said, with the balloon reaching 1000 metres and cost 550 reais (about $A150) per passenger.
Sobrevoar, the company responsible for the multi-coloured balloon, said it complied with all regulations and had a clean accident record before Saturday.
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.
Last Sunday, a balloon fell in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 others, G1 reported.
Blazing Brazilian Balloon Crash Kills 8 But Spares At Least 13 Others
A hot air balloon caught fire in Santa Catarina, Brazil. At least 8 people were on board. Some managed to jump to safety, but others did not make it out in time. The balloon then rose up into the sky, carrying the passengers who stayed behind in the basket with it. No one is said to have survived the crash. The pilot reportedly tried to lower the balloon, ordering passengers to jump when the craft got close to the ground.
The Sun posted a video of the crash on YouTube:
The Daily Mail reported that 14 people apparently jumped to safety before the craft burned completely, while ABC News reported that 13 survived and were taken to local hospitals with injuries.
The accident occurred in the country’s southern state of Santa Catarina in its Praia Grande region, known as a hot air ballooning location. Around 30 balloons were reportedly flying in the region on the morning of the accident with the one that crashed one of the last to take off.
ABC translated a video posted by Governor Jorginho Mello On X, who said, “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.”
The fire reportedly started in a back-up burner stored in the basket. One of the survivors was the pilot.
According to the pilot’s account in the Mail, the survivors avoided certain death by following his directions. After noticing the flames he immediately tried to lower the balloon, ordering passengers to jump when the craft got close to the ground.
The report continued:
Some managed to leap to safety, surviving with injuries — but others did not make it out in time. The hot air balloon weighed much less after those people had escaped — so it rose up into the sky, carrying the passengers who stayed behind in the basket with it. As the fire spread, the balloon detached from the basket, which then began to speed towards the ground.
Among those who remained in the basket, no one is said to have survived. Police and fire crews remained at the scene throughout Saturday.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.