SAO PAULO, June 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - At least eight people were killed 
Saturday when a hot air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern 
Brazil, said the governor of Santa Catarina state, where the incident 
occurred.

"Eight fatalities and 13 survivors," governor Jorginho Mello said on X.

Videos taken by bystanders and carried on Brazilian television showed the 
moment when the balloon erupted in flames above the coastal town of Praia 
Grande. The weather conditions were clear.

The basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of meters to the ground 
in flames.

An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the accident.

Praia Grande, on the Atlantic coast, is a popular destination for hot-air 
ballooning in Brazil.

That was the second fatal balloon accident in the country in just a few days. 
Less than a week ago, a woman died during a ride in southeastern Sao Paulo 
state.