A hot-air balloon accident occurred in Brazil, with the balloon catching fire mid-air, causing it to fall from the sky. As a result, eight people were killed and 13 were injured.
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According to The Associated Press, the incident occurred on Saturday, June 21, at around 8 a.m. local time in the municipality of Praia Grande, Santa Catarina. Footage shared online shows the hot-air balloon already burning in the air.
At one point during the video, two people are shown falling to their deaths, as the fire continuously consumes more and more of the envelope. Eventually, the burning basket lands violently on the ground, following a dramatic fall also caught by video cameras.
According to Santa Catarina’s military brigade, 21 people were on board the hot-air balloon at the time of the incident. Out of them, eight were killed, and the 13 survivors were transported to local hospitals.
Reportedly, the 13 who managed to survive were instructed by the pilot, who also survived, to jump out of the hot-air balloon. The pilot lowered the balloon and told the occupants to jump when it was closest to the ground. The eight who perished weren’t able to do so, as the difference in weight caused the balloon to rise.
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Sobrevorar, the company responsible for the balloons, issued a statement following the incident.
“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 company said.
As per the AP, the company had no accidents in its record before the Saturday tragedy.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident.
Santa Catarina Governor Jorginho Mello, mourned the incident on X.
“We are in mourning,” Mello said in a video. “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.”
Similarly, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the incident on social media.
“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,” Lula da Silva wrote.