A hot-air balloon ride turned into a tragedy in southern Brazil after the aircraft caught fire mid-air, killing eight people. The pilot, who survived, reportedly urged passengers to jump moments before the balloon crashed to the ground.
The incident occurred Saturday morning (June 21) in Praia Grande, a coastal town in Santa Catarina state known for its scenic balloon flights. Of the 21 people onboard, 13 survived, including the pilot, Reuters details.
Ulisses Gabriel, chief of police for Santa Catarina, described the conditions at takeoff as precarious. Speaking to Brazilian broadcaster Globo News, he said strong winds forced several people to physically hold down the balloon, which was being guided by a truck with a tow cable swinging violently side to side.
Gabriel noted that a possible gas leak during this unstable launch may have led to the fire: “Despite the material being flame-retardant, the tarpaulin caught fire intensely,” he said. “The balloon initially ascended and, after a while, began descending, 13 people managed to escape at that point.”
But before it could safely land, the balloon rose back into the sky, still burning, with some passengers still trapped inside. “That’s when people started to panic,” Gabriel explained. “Some jumped from the basket. Those who remained died from severe burns.”
Videos circulated by local outlet G1 and across social media show plumes of black smoke billowing from the balloon as it plummeted. In one harrowing clip, two passengers are seen falling through the air as the flames spread.
The pilot believes the fire began in a backup burner stored in the basket. “I don’t know if it reignited or stayed lit, but that torch is what started everything,” he reportedly told Brazilian media, per Daily Mail.
Upon spotting the fire, the pilot attempted to bring the balloon down and instructed passengers to jump once it neared the ground. The planned 45-minute flight had reached altitudes over 3,000 feet before disaster struck.
Eyewitnesses shared graphic accounts of the aftermath. “We saw two people fall, on fire,” one told Jornal Razão. “After the basket broke, the balloon crashed completely.”
Another recalled arriving to find “a woman in shock, covered in mud” and a man limping. Two bodies were discovered near a pasture, while the burning balloon wreckage lay deeper in the forest. “Firefighters told us to move our cars, it could explode because of the gas,” the witness said.
Locals noted that around 30 balloons had been flying in the area that morning. The one that crashed was among the last to take off.
Praia Grande, often dubbed “Brazilian Cappadocia” for its resemblance to Turkey’s famed ballooning region, is a popular destination for scenic aerial tours. On Saturday, however, it became the site of one of the deadliest balloon accidents in recent memory.
The Santa Catarina State Fire Department released a statement confirming four immediate deaths at the scene, with others being rescued, treated, or still being searched for at the time. Recovery teams continue their investigation into the cause of the fire, which is suspected to stem from either adverse weather or human error.
This tragedy comes just days after another fatal hot-air balloon accident in Brazil. Juliana Alves Prado Pereira, a 27-year-old psychologist, died during a ride in São Paulo. That balloon carried more than 30 passengers; 11 were injured.
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