8 Killed, 13 Injured in Hot Air Balloon Accident in Brazil

Investigators suspect the basket of the hot air balloon may have caught fire after coming into contact with a blowtorch.

A member of the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents walks next to the wreckage of a hot air balloon that caught fire and crashed with 21 people on board in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, on June 21, 2025. Silvio Avila/AFP via Getty Images

Eight people were killed and 13 more were injured in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina on the morning of June 21, after a hot air balloon crashed back down to earth.

The hot air balloon in question was carrying a pilot and 20 passengers, according to a statement released by the local government.

The hot air balloon reportedly crashed down near a health center, and first responders from Brazil’s public health system and the Santa Catarina Military Fire Department transported the injured to nearby hospitals.

“We are all dismayed by this tragedy. The teams are continuing their search and providing all necessary support to the families,” Santa Catarina Gov. Jorginho Mello said in a statement addressing the accident.

Mello is currently in China on an official visit, and some of his duties now fall to acting Gov. Francisco de Oliveira Neto.

In a statement, Neto credited Mello with immediately activating emergency resources to respond to the incident on June 21.

The exact cause of the crash is not yet clear. Local police are currently investigating the matter, alongside forensic analysts and national and regional aviation authorities.

“We work in an integrated manner with the Military Fire Department, Civil Police, Military Police, Scientific Police and Health Department, ensuring a fast, efficient and coordinated response,” said Col. Flávio Graff, Santa Catarina’s public safety secretary.

Investigators suspect the basket of the hot air balloon may have caught fire after coming into contact with a blowtorch that was not an original component of the aircraft.

The Associated Press has reported that the hot air balloon was operated by a company called Sobrevoar.

“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 company said in a statement it shared with The Associated Press.

The company said it was suspending all of its operations indefinitely.

On June 15, one hot air balloon pilot was killed and 19 passengers were injured when their aircraft made a hard landing near a village in the Aksaray Province of central Turkey.

Pilots and passengers aboard two different hot air balloons were lucky to walk away from accidents during the 52nd Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in October 2024. One hot air balloon collided with and knocked over a radio tower. The following day, another balloon partly caught fire after catching on power lines and then landed on a construction site.