RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday in Brazil 's southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people, firefighters said.
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.
On a video on social media, two people can be seen falling through the air as the fire spread onboard the aircraft.
Thirteen people survived and were taken to hospitals, Santa Catarina’s military fire brigade said, adding that 21 people were on board including the pilot.
The crash happened at around 8 a.m. local time, said Lt. Col. Zevir Cipriano Jr., a military firefighter. 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.”
“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,” Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X.
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio 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.
Authorities have opened an investigation and the results will be made public within 30 days, Santa Catarina's public safety secretary Col. Flávio Graff told journalists. According to the civil police, the pilot has given testimony and they will also gather statements from survivors, Graff added.
G1 reported that the balloon's expected flight time was 45 minutes, with the balloon reaching 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), and cost 550 reais (around $100) per passenger.
Sobrevoar, the company responsible for the multicolored balloon, said it complied with all regulations and had a clean accident record prior to Saturday.
“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,” it said in a statement.
Sobrevoar added that it was suspending all operations for an indefinite period.
Praia Grande is a common destination for hot-air ballooning, a popular activity in parts of southern Brazil. The area is famous for its dramatic canyon landscapes and is known as the "Brazilian Cappadocia," a reference to a region in central Turkey famed worldwide for stunning hot-air balloon rides.
Last Sunday, a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people, G1 reported.
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