At least eight people were killed Saturday in a tourist region of southern Brazil when a hot-air balloon caught fire in the sky and crashed to the ground, state authorities said.
They said the remaining 13 people onboard survived the crash, which occurred in a rural part of Praia Grande, a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina that is popular for hot-air balloon excursions over dramatic canyon landscapes.
The balloon, carrying 21 people including the pilot, caught fire and plummeted shortly after 8 a.m., according to the state’s military fire brigade. Survivors were being treated in nearby hospitals, according to a spokesperson for the brigade.
On Saturday morning, some 20 firefighters and seven vehicles were searching the area around the crash site, and police were investigating the cause.
Tiago Luiz Lemos, a Praia Grande police spokesperson, told local news media that the balloon’s pilot, who survived, had reported that the fire started inside the gondola carrying the passengers, with a sudden flame in the burner equipment that is used to ignite it.
“He started lowering the balloon. When the balloon was quite close to the ground, he ordered people to jump from the basket,” said Lemos. “Some people weren’t able to jump off.”
Jorginho Mello, the state’s governor, called the crash a “tragedy” and said authorities would investigate.
