Eight people have died after a hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky in Brazil.
A further 13 people including the pilot were injured in the incident in the southern state of Santa Catarina on Saturday morning, according to local officials.
Shocking footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon, which was in flames as it hurtled towards the ground and crashed into a rural area near a health centre.
Horrifying videos captured the moment the balloon appeared to crumple before plummeting down, with reports suggesting at least one person jumped to escape the blaze mid-air.
Of the victims, four died after being burned in the basket and another four in the fall, G1 reported.
Miraculously some survivors were all taken to hospitals, Santa Catarina’s military fire brigade said, adding that 21 people were on board in total, including the pilot.
According to Jornal Razao, a Brazilian outlet, the pilot told authorities: “I don’t know if it stayed lit or if it reignited on its own, but it was the torch that started it all.”
“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,” governor Jorginho Mello said in a video on X.
Mr 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”.
He added: “We continue to monitor the situation.”
Three people died hugging each other, said Ulisses Gabriel, chief of Santa Catarina’s civil police force, on X. “It hurts the soul.”
Authorities have opened an investigation and the results will be made public within 30 days, Santa Catarina’s public safety secretary Flïvio Graff told journalists. According to the civil police, the pilot has given testimony and they will also gather statements from survivors, he added.
The vehicle was run by Sobrevoar, the outlet reported, adding that it had the necessary licences.
Last Sunday, a balloon fell in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 others, G1 reported.
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.
Praia Grande City Hall said: “The City of Praia Grande expresses its solidarity with the families involved in the balloon accident that occurred on the morning of Saturday, 21 June.”
Last Sunday, a hot air balloon crashed in central Turkey, leaving its pilot dead and 19 Indonesian tourists injured, a local official said.
In a statement, the governor’s office said the balloon was affected by a sudden change of wind.
It was trying to make a hard landing near the village of Gozlukuyu in Aksaray province, when the pilot fell out of the balloon’s basket and his feet got tangled in a rope, Aksaray governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoglu said.
“Unfortunately, our pilot got stuck under the basket and died,” he said, adding that the injured tourists were taken to a hospital.
