Latest news with #JorginhoMello
7NEWS
22-06-2025
- General
- 7NEWS
Hot-air balloon pilot reveals terrifying moments before eight people killed
A hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people, firefighters said. 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. Three people died hugging each other, said Ulisses Gabriel, chief of Santa Catarina's civil police force, on X. 'It hurts the soul.' Thirteen people survived and were taken to hospitals, Santa Catarina's military fire brigade said, adding that 21 people were on board including the pilot. '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,' Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X. 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.
Online Citizen
22-06-2025
- Online Citizen
Eight killed and 13 injured as tourist hot-air balloon erupts in flames over Brazil's Praia Grande
At least eight people died and 13 others were injured on 21 June 2025 when a sightseeing hot-air balloon exploded in mid-air and crashed near the coastal town of Praia Grande in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina. Governor Jorginho Mello announced the casualties just hours after the accident, confirming that emergency teams had recovered eight bodies and taken 13 survivors to nearby hospitals. Videos filmed by residents show the balloon's envelope engulfed in flames above farmland. Moments later the basket detached, plunging several dozen metres while terrified passengers jumped in an attempt to escape the blaze. VIDEO: A dawn sightseeing balloon ride over Praia Grande, Santa Catarina in Brazil, turned to tragedy on 21 Jun 2025 when the craft erupted in flames and crashed. 8 dead, 13 injured. — The Online Citizen (@theon9citizen) June 22, 2025 Investigators believe a backup blowtorch stored in the basket ignited leaking propane, triggering a flash fire that quickly spread to the fabric canopy. The pilot began an emergency descent and instructed passengers to jump once the balloon neared the ground. Four victims were burned to death inside the basket. The remaining four died from injuries sustained during their desperate leap as the balloon lost weight, rose again, and reignited before slamming into a field. Thirteen survivors, including the pilot, were treated at three regional facilities. Our Lady of Fatima Hospital reported three patients in stable condition with minor burns and fractures, while two others were discharged later the same day. The remaining eight were kept under observation. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed condolences and promised federal support for the investigation, stating that all agencies would 'spare no effort to clarify the causes of the tragedy'. The balloon, a Czech-built Kubíček BB85 operated by Praia-based company Sobrevoar Serviços Turísticos, had passed its annual inspection in May and was insured. The operator has suspended flights indefinitely and offered to assist victims' families. Civil police and the National Civil Aviation Agency have opened separate inquiries. Specialists are analysing flight logs, maintenance records and fuel samples. Preliminary findings are expected within 30 days, though a final report could take several months. Hot-air ballooning is the main draw for Praia Grande, often called 'the Brazilian Cappadocia'. Calm mornings allow up to 30 launches a day during the June festival season, attracting tourists eager to view the region's dramatic basalt canyons from the air. Saturday's disaster was Brazil's second fatal balloon incident in a week. On 16 June an unauthorised craft crashed into power lines in São Paulo state, killing one person and injuring 11, heightening calls for stricter oversight of lighter-than-air tourism nationwide. Authorities later identified six of the Praia Grande victims as doctors Leise Herrmann Parizotto and Andrei Gabriel de Melo, civil servant Leane Herrmann, figure-skating coach Leandro Luzzi, and married couple Janaina and Everaldo da Rocha. Two other names were withheld pending formal notification. Municipal tourism chief Paulo Machado warned that the crash could devastate local livelihoods, noting that dozens of family-run businesses rely on balloon flights. He urged investigators to publish transparent findings quickly to restore visitor confidence. Funeral arrangements are being coordinated with forensic services, and an evening candle-lit vigil drew hundreds of residents to Praia Grande's main square. Counsellors and social workers are offering support to grieving relatives. Globally, fatal balloon accidents remain rare but often deadly. Major incidents in Egypt, the United States and Mexico over the past decade have highlighted the need for redundant safety systems and rigorous crew training.
Malaysian Reserve
22-06-2025
- General
- Malaysian Reserve
Eight dead in Brazil hot-air balloon accident
SAO PAULO – At least eight people were killed Saturday when a hot-air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil, a state governor said. It was the second fatal balloon accident in the vast South American country in less than a week. 'Eight fatalities and 13 survivors,' Santa Catarina state 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 a rural area outside the Atlantic coast town of Praia Grande, a tourist hotspot popular for hot-air ballooning. The basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of meters to the ground in flames. Other images showed some of the passengers jumping. The 13 survivors were treated at hospitals, firefighters said. Officials at Our Lady of Fatima hospital said of the five survivors treated there, three were in stable condition with minor injuries and two had already been discharged. Information about the other survivors was not immediately available. An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the accident. Weather conditions were clear at the time. 'I want to express my solidarity with the families of the victims,' Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a statement. The pilot told officials the fire was sparked by a blowtorch — used to ignite the balloon's main flame — in the basket, Tiago Luiz Lemos, a police official in Praia Grande, told local media. The pilot tried to bring the balloon down as soon as the fire erupted, 'and once it was close to the ground, he told the passengers to jump from the basket. But some of them couldn't do it and the fire grew,' the official said. Four people were burned to death and four others died from injuries sustained in the fall, fire department official Zevir Cipriano Junior told reporters. One witness told the Razao newspaper that he saw 'two people falling, they were on fire, the basket broke off and the balloon fell.' Less than a week ago, a woman died during a balloon ride in southeastern Sao Paulo state. –AFP
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fiery hot-air balloon tragedy kills at least 8 people: 'We are in mourning'
A hot-air balloon carrying 21 people in Brazil caught fire Saturday morning and crashed, killing at least eight people, Santa Catarina's military fire brigade said. The crash happened in Santa Catarina, a state in Brazil's south, after the fire started in the basket, forcing the pilot to attempt to land, officials said. Video shared on social media shows black smoke billowing over the deflated balloon as it hurtles toward the ground in a wooded area near the town of Praia Grande, which is popular for hot-air ballooning. The 13 survivors, including the pilot, were taken to hospitals with unknown injuries. Hot-air Balloon Strike, Collapse Of New Mexico Radio Tower Caught On Camera During Popular Festival The survivors managed to live by jumping out of the balloon when the fire first began, officials said. Read On The Fox News App The balloon at first began to rise again once some of the passengers had jumped out. "These people ended up dying — four charred, and another four jumped out of the balloon when it was falling," Lt. Col. Zevir Cipriano Jr. said. "We are in mourning," Santa Catarina Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a video on X. "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." He added that he's asked authorities "to do as much as possible" to help the victims and their families. Three of the victims died hugging each other, Santa Catarina's civil police force Chief Ulisses Gabriel said on social media. "It hurts the soul," he said. Costing $100 per person, the ride was expected to be 45 minutes long and reach 3,280 feet. It's not clear what height the balloon was at when it started to fall. "Despite all necessary precautions and the efforts of our pilot — who has extensive experience and followed all recommended procedures in an attempt to save everyone on board the balloon — we are suffering from the pain caused by this tragedy," the hot-air balloon company Sobrevoar said in a statement. Tennessee Skydiving Plane Crashes Moments After Takeoff, Leaving Multiple Passengers Injured Sobrevoar added that it had followed all regulations for the ride and had a clear record previously. It is now suspending its operations indefinitely. Around 25 to 30 hot-air balloon trips leave daily from the area, the government said. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with the victims' families and said the federal government was available to help with the investigation. Last Sunday, another hot-air balloon crashed in Brazil's state of São Paulo, killing one woman and injuring 11 others. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. Original article source: Fiery hot-air balloon tragedy kills at least 8 people: 'We are in mourning'
The South African
22-06-2025
- General
- The South African
Eight die in Brazil hot-air balloon disaster: Here's what happened
At least eight people were killed on Saturday when a hot-air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil, a state governor said. It was the second fatal balloon accident in the vast South American country in less than a week. 'Eight fatalities and 13 survivors,' Santa Catarina state 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 a rural area outside the Atlantic coast town of Praia Grande, a tourist hotspot popular for hot-air ballooning. The basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of metres to the ground in flames. Other images showed some of the passengers jumping. The 13 survivors were treated at hospitals, firefighters said. Officials at Our Lady of Fatima hospital said of the five survivors treated there, three were in stable condition with minor injuries and two had already been discharged. Information about the other survivors was not immediately available. An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the accident. Weather conditions were clear at the time. 'I want to express my solidarity with the families of the victims,' Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a statement. The pilot told officials the fire was sparked by a blowtorch – used to ignite the balloon's main flame – in the basket, Tiago Luiz Lemos, a police official in Praia Grande, told local media. The pilot tried to bring the balloon down as soon as the fire erupted, 'and once it was close to the ground, he told the passengers to jump from the basket. But some of them couldn't do it and the fire grew,' the official said. Four people were burned to death and four others died from injuries sustained in the fall, fire department official Zevir Cipriano Junior told reporters. Less than a week ago, a woman died during a balloon ride in southeastern Sao Paulo state. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
