A hot air balloon has caught fire and crashed in Brazil, killing eight people and injuring 13 others, in an incident that has prompted widespread horror and turned an area of renowned natural beauty into a disaster zone.
The accident occurred early on Saturday, 21 June 2025, in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, in the country’s southeast, on board a tourist balloon operated by Sobrevoar Serviços Turísticos. The pilot survived and told authorities a reserve torch inside the basket had caught fire. He reported that he immediately began to lower the balloon and, once nearer the ground, told passengers to jump.
A hot-air balloon carrying approx 22 people caught fire mid‑air and crashed in Brazil during the early morning hours on 21 Jun 2025
— बिहार Bihar (@Bihar_Nawada) June 21, 2025
8 people died and 13 injured.
You can see few jumping, they died. Who remained, survived. #baloon #brazil #Accident #news #viralvideo… pic.twitter.com/X3MUdRJoOU
Distressing footage captured by a witness appears to show at least two passengers leaping or falling from the craft and the balloon’s envelope shrivelling as it went up in flames while the basket plummeted earthward. The pilot’s actions seem likely to have saved the lives of the majority on board. The dead have been identified as a mother and daughter, two couples, an opthamologist, and a figure skater. The governor of Santa Catarina issued two posts on X, confirming the number of victims and survivors, and expressing solidarity with the area and those affected, and promising the full support of rescue services.
Situated around 270 km from the state capital Florianópolis, Praia Grande is reputed for its scenic canyons and is sometimes referred to as the Brazilian Cappadocia, a nod to the Turkish region known for its natural stone towers, cones, valleys, and caves and synonymous with leisure ballooning since the early 1990s. Around 30 balloons were taking off in Praia Grande at the same time as the ill-fated flight, according to locals.
Air ballooning has become more and more popular in recent years, partly driven by idyllic imagery on Instagram and the increase in bucket-list tourism since the COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted. It is generally considered a safe pastime, with 2022 data from the US National Transportation Safety Board showing 775 hot air balloon accidents recorded in the US in 58 years, with only 70 fatalities. By comparison, horse-riding – one of the most dangerous activities in the world – results in approximately 710 deaths in the US every year, according to estimates from the Brain Injury Association of Missouri.
Tragedy in Brazil : A hot air balloon with 22 people on board caught fire mid-flight in Praia Grande this Saturday.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) June 21, 2025
Eight people died after falling from the hot air balloon that caught fire while flying in the Santa Catarina region of southern Brazil.
There were 21 people on… pic.twitter.com/1hLNn3FLeF
Most balloon accidents are caused by collisions with electricity lines. After a 2016 crash in Lockhart, Texas, which killed 16 people when a hot air balloon crashed into power lines and caught fire, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) worked with the Balloon Federation Of America, to develop the “Envelope of Safety” accreditation programme, setting out minimum requirements and qualifications for pilots wishing to carry over a handful of passengers.
Those tempted by balloon rides are urged to check out the credentials and safety statistics of the company concerned. In this case, Sobrevoar Serviços Turísticos had an unblemished record.
