A scenic hot-air balloon ride turned into a nightmare on Saturday when a balloon carrying 21 people caught fire and crashed in southern Brazil, killing eight passengers and leaving others hospitalized.
The tragedy unfolded in the tourist town of Praia Grande, located in the state of Santa Catarina. Terrifying footage shared by local news outlet G1 shows the balloon engulfed in flames, plummeting from the sky with thick smoke trailing behind it.
In another disturbing video circulating on social media, two people are seen falling from the burning balloon as the fire rapidly spread through the aircraft.
“Three people died hugging each other,” wrote Santa Catarina civil police chief Ulisses Gabriel in a somber post on X. “It hurts the soul.”
According to the state’s military fire brigade, 13 people survived the crash and were rushed to area hospitals. The pilot, who also survived, told investigators that a fire broke out in the basket mid-flight. As the flames grew, he tried to bring the balloon down quickly and urged passengers to jump as it neared the ground. Not all of them were able to escape in time.
“The fire intensified, and the balloon eventually fell,” police officer Tiago Luiz Lemos told Folha de S. Paulo.
Governor Jorginho Mello called the disaster a “tragedy” and said the state is doing everything it can to support survivors and families of the victims. “We are in mourning,” Mello said in a video posted online. “Now is the time for comfort and rescue.”
The flight, which cost passengers about $100 each, was scheduled to last 45 minutes and soar up to 1,000 meters in the air. Praia Grande is known for its breathtaking balloon rides and often draws crowds during the June festivals honoring Catholic saints like St. John.
Just one week earlier, a similar accident occurred in São Paulo state, where a balloon crash left one woman dead and 11 others injured. That incident is also under investigation.
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this is why i will never go up in a balloon
How does something like that even happen? And two incidents in a week? I was under the impression that certain measures, like no open flames, no lighters (etc etc) were followed and strictly enforced so that stuff like this doesn’t happen. Is the sun getting so hot (or Earth having so much less protection) that it is heating up the balloons/propane to such a temperature that it is causing fires? I don’t recall ever hearing of things like this, years ago.
My sympathies to those who have had loved ones perish due to this events. It is quite sad.