Eight people have died in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina after a hot air balloon caught fire, firefighters said.
Thirteen people survived the flight in the city of Praia Grande and were hospitalized. There were 21 people on board the balloon, including the pilot.
A fire broke out in the basket, so the pilot tried to land the balloon. He and 12 other people managed to jump out. Eight of them did not make it because without the weight of the others the balloon started to rise again.
"These people ended up dying — four were charred and four more jumped out of the balloon as it was falling," a fire official said.
"We are in mourning. A tragedy has happened. We will see how it unfolds, what happened, why it happened. But now it is important that the state structure does what it can," Governor Jorgenso Melo said on IX.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with the families of the victims and said he was putting the federal government at the disposal of the victims and local authorities.
Authorities have launched an investigation and the results will be released within 30 days, Santa Catarina's public security secretary, Colonel Flavio Graf, told reporters. The pilot has given a statement and they will also collect statements from survivors, he added.
The balloon's expected flight time was 45 minutes, to reach an altitude of 1.000 meters, and the price was 550 reais (about $100) per passenger.
Sobrevoar, the company responsible for the balloon flight, said it had met all regulations and that there had been no accidents before Saturday.
"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 in the balloon, we are suffering from the pain caused by this tragedy," the statement said.
Sobrevoar added that he is suspending all operations indefinitely.
Praia Grande is a famous destination for hot air ballooning, a popular activity in southern Brazil.
The area is known for its canyons and as the "Brazilian Cappadocia," a reference to the region in central Turkey known worldwide for hot air balloon rides.
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