A hot air balloon carrying 21 passengers caught fire and crashed in front of shocked onlookers, resulting in eight fatalities and thirteen injuries.<\/p>\n
On Saturday morning, June 21, the tragedy took place in the skies over Praia Grande, which is located in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.<\/p>\n
The pilot ordered an emergency jump after a fire broke out in midair.
\nAccording to the tour company Sobrevoar Servi\u00e7os Tur\u00edsticos, which operated the balloon, it had no prior accidents and had complied with all aviation regulations.<\/p>\n
As part of a tour over the well-known ballooning destination, the balloon took off.<\/p>\n
The fire started inside the balloon\u2019s basket, according to police and eyewitness reports. According to BBC News, officer Tiago Luiz Lemos of the Praia Grande police said, \u201cAccording to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket, so he started to lower the balloon, and when the balloon was very close to the ground he told people to jump.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pilot was one of 13 people who survived the jump. Others, though, were unable to flee in time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey started to jump, but some people did not manage to,\u201d Officer Lemos continued. As the flames grew, the balloon started to rise once more due to the weight. Later, a loss of suspension caused it to fall.<\/p>\n
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
\nUlisses Gabriel, the chief of police, told Globo News in Brazil that the balloon needed multiple people to stabilize it due to the high wind during takeoff. He told the Daily Mail, \u201cThere was a truck pulling the balloon with a cable, which was moving very intensely from side to side.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel clarified that even flame-retardant materials were unable to put out the fire that may have been caused by a gas leak from this movement.<\/p>\n
Investigators were informed by the pilot that a backup burner kept in the basket was most likely the cause of the fire. According to the Jornal Razao, he stated, \u201cI don\u2019t know if it stayed lit or if it reignited on its own, but it was the torch that started it all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some passengers leaped from the balloon as the fire spread. Others who were still on board perished in the fall or the flames. According to G1, four of the victims passed away after jumping, and another four died from burns sustained in the basket.<\/p>\n
Survivors and Victims
\nTwo couples, a mother and daughter, an ophthalmologist, and a figure skater were among the eight victims.<\/p>\n
For medical care, survivors were taken to nearby hospitals. Ulisses Gabriel, the head of civil police, reported that three of the dead were discovered embracing one another. He wrote on X, \u201cIt hurts the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
One witness told Jornal Razao, \u201cWe saw two people fall on fire,\u201d as residents recounted the aftermath. The balloon fell all the way down after the basket broke. Another said, \u201cThere were two people alive when we got there: a man limping and a woman covered in mud who was in shock.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Responders from emergency services were sent out right away. Authorities advised residents to avoid the area due to the possibility of an explosion from gas leaks, as evidenced by footage from the scene showing smoke rising from the crash site.<\/p>\n
National Mourning and Official Reaction
\nJorginho Mello, the governor of Santa Catarina, spoke to the public via video while he was in China at the time. He declared, \u201cWhat happened is a tragedy; we are in mourning.\u201d \u201cWe\u2019ll look into what caused this. However, the most crucial thing right now is to make every effort to connect with the people and their families.<\/p>\n
Additionally, President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva offered his condolences. \u201cI want to show my support for the families of those who lost their loved ones in the balloon accident that happened in Santa Catarina this Saturday morning,\u201d he wrote on X. Additionally, I would like to make the Federal Government available to the victims as well as the state and local agencies tasked with rescuing and caring for the survivors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe City of Praia Grande expresses its solidarity with the families involved in the balloon accident that occurred on the morning of Saturday, 21 June,\u201d read a statement released by the city hall of Praia Grande.<\/p>\n
An investigation is underway.
\nThe National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) of Brazil has opened an inquiry into the crew\u2019s behavior and the aircraft\u2019s state. Fl\u00e1vio Graff, the public safety secretary for Santa Catarina, stated that the investigation\u2019s findings would be released to the public in 30 days. In addition to the pilot\u2019s testimony, survivors\u2019 statements will be gathered.<\/p>\n
The operations of Sobrevoar Servi\u00e7os Tur\u00edsticos have been put on indefinite hold. \u201cUnfortunately, we are now facing the pain caused by this tragedy \u2014 despite all necessary precautions and the efforts of our experienced pilot \u2014 who followed all recommended procedures and tried to save everyone on board,\u201d the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The Examining of Ballooning
\nDays prior to this crash, a 27-year-old woman lost her life and eleven others were hurt in another deadly hot air balloon accident in S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\n
In the southern part of Brazil, ballooning is a popular pastime, especially during June when celebrations honoring Catholic saints attract sizable crowds.<\/p>\n
According to locals, on the morning of the accident, there were about thirty balloons in the air in Praia Grande, with the doomed balloon being one of the last to take off. It was anticipated that the flight would last 45 minutes and reach over 3,000 feet.<\/p>\n
We are thinking of everyone affected by this tragedy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A hot air balloon carrying 21 passengers caught fire and crashed in front of shocked onlookers, resulting in eight fatalities and thirteen injuries. On Saturday morning, June 21, the tragedy took place in the skies over Praia Grande, which is located in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. The pilot ordered an emergency jump…<\/p>\n