Overview

• A hot air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire over Praia Grande before its gondola plummeted, killing eight passengers.
• Four victims died from burns and four others perished after jumping from the burning gondola, authorities said.
• The surviving pilot told local investigators that a burner inside the gondola may have ignited the blaze and is assisting with the inquiry.
• This accident is the second fatal hot air balloon crash in Brazil in less than a week, following a previous death in São Paulo state.
• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with victims’ families and pledged federal support for rescue and assistance efforts.