Eight killed as hot air balloon catches fire in southern Brazil

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.