RIO DE JANEIRO — Eight people died when a hot air balloon crashed in southern Brazil on Saturday, authorities said.
The governor of the state of Santa Catarina, Jorginho Mello, wrote on X that 21 people were on board the balloon.
The accident occurred in the morning in Praia Grande, a small town near the border with the state of Rio Grande do Sul that draws many tourists for balloon rides to view the chain of deep canyons and striking rock formations in the surrounding region.
Videos on social media showed the burning balloon in the air and the basket crashing to the ground.
The cause of the fire was initially unclear. At the time, the sun was shining in the region.
The accident occurred just a few days after a similar incident in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, in which a 27-year-old woman was killed in a balloon crash, according to the news portal G1. More than 30 people were on board the balloon in São Paulo, 11 of whom were injured.
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