A hot-air balloon carrying 21 people in Brazil had a fire on board on Saturday morning and crashed, leading to the deaths of at least eight individuals as reported by Santa Catarina’s military fire brigade.
The incident took place in Santa Catarina, located in the southern part of Brazil, after a fire ignited in the basket, causing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.
Social media footage reveals black smoke from the deflated balloon as it descends rapidly towards a wooded area near the town of Praia Grande, which is known for hot-air ballooning.
The 13 survivors, including the pilot, were taken to hospitals with unspecified injuries.
HOT-AIR BALLOON STRIKE, COLLAPSE OF NEW MEXICO RADIO TOWER CAUGHT ON CAMERA DURING POPULAR FESTIVAL
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.
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. (CBMSC/Brazil/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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.
HOT-AIR BALLOON STRIKE, COLLAPSE OF NEW MEXICO RADIO TOWER CAUGHT ONCAMERA DURING POPULAR FESTIVAL
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.
A member of Brazil’s Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) walks next to the wreckage of a hot-air balloon that caught fire and crashed with 21 people on board in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, Saturday. (Silvio Avila/AFP via Getty Images)
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.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/fiery-hot-air-balloon-tragedy-kills-least-8-people-mourning
