Eight people were dead after a hot-air balloon caught fire and fell from the sky on Saturday in Brazil 's southern state of Santa Catarina.
According to reports, 13 people have survived and were taken to nearby hospitals immediately. Santa Catarina's military fire brigade told media that 21 people were on board including the pilot.
Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon 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.
What Are Authorities Saying?
Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X reacting to the incident said, "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."
Mello said he has asked authorities to head to the municipality "to do as much as possible to rescue, to help, to take to hospital, to comfort the families."
"According to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket and then he began to lower the balloon. When the balloon was very close to the ground, he ordered people to jump out of the basket," Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper quoted Praia Grande head police officer Tiago Luiz Lemos as saying.
"Some of them didn't manage to jump. The fire increased and the balloon ended up falling," Lemos added.
G1 reported that the balloon's expected flight time was 45 minutes, with the balloon reaching 1000 meters, and cost 550 reais (around $100) per passenger.
Praia Grande is a common destination for hot-air ballooning, a popular activity in some parts of Brazil's south during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints such as St. John, whose feast day is on June 24.
Last Sunday, a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people, G1 reported.
(With AP inputs)
