Hot-air balloon fire & crash kills 8 in Brazil

At least eight people have been reported dead after a hot-air balloon caught fire in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina on Jun. 21.

The balloon had been carrying 21 people, and the remaining 13 survived, Santa Catarina governor Jorginho Mello posted on X.

The survivors, including the pilot, were taken to nearby hospitals, BBC reported.

The accident occurred around 7am local time, according to local newspaper Jornal Razão, reported by The Guardian.

The balloon was one of 30 that were flying at the time over Praia Grande, a popular tourist destination for hot-air ballooning due to its scenic canyon landscapes.

What happened

At least eight people have died in a hot air balloon accident in Brazil, a state governor has said.

There were 21 people on board the balloon in the city of Praia Grande on Saturday morning, Governor of Santa Catarina Jorginho Mello said in a post on X.

Mello said 13 people… pic.twitter.com/NwHWQImBvI

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) June 21, 2025

A video taken by a witness on the ground and circulated online shows fire spreading on the balloon before it deflated. The basket then broke and plummeted to the ground.

Two people can be seen falling through the air.

"When the balloon started to catch fire, people hurled themselves out," a witness told Jornal Razão. "They were trying to escape the flames."

Another witness said, "We [saw] some of them throwing themselves out [of the balloon] and others trapped in the fire."

A police officer told reporters that, according to the pilot, the fire started inside the basket.

"He started to lower the balloon, and when the balloon was very close to the ground he told people to jump," the officer said.

"They started to jump, but some people did not manage to. The flames started to grow and because of the weight, the balloon began to rise again. It later fell because of a loss of suspension."

The people unable to jump ended up dying, a military firefighter said, according to AP. Four of them were charred, while another four jumped out of the balloon when it was falling.

Response to the accident

In a video posted on X, Mello said he had sent "the entire state structure" to "rescue, help and comfort the families".

He added that officials are monitoring the situation and will conduct investigations.

Also on X, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims.

"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," he wrote.

The company that operated the balloon, Sobrevoar Serviços Turísticos, has suspended its activities indefinitely, BBC reported.

It said it had complied with all regulations set by Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency, and had had no prior history of accidents.

Top images via aviationbrk/X