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 (CENIPA) 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 press statement released by the local government.