A hot air balloon accident in southern Brazil has left eight people dead and 13 others injured, authorities confirmed on Saturday. The tragic incident occurred in Praia Grande, a coastal town in the Santa Catarina state, a region known for its popular ballooning excursions.

Governor Jorginho Mello confirmed the toll in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Eight fatalities and 13 survivors.” The survivors have been transported to local hospitals for treatment. Their conditions were not immediately disclosed.

Dramatic video footage shared by bystanders and broadcast on Brazilian television showed the balloon engulfed in flames mid-air, before the passenger basket plummeted dozens of meters to the ground.

 “We still have no information about the condition of the survivors,” a Santa Catarina fire department spokeswoman told AFP.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, which broke out during what was supposed to be a scenic flight on a clear-weather morning.

Initial findings suggest that the fire may have been triggered by a blowtorch in the basket, according to Tiago Luiz Lemos, a police official in Praia Grande. He said the pilot attempted to make an emergency descent and instructed passengers to jump before impact, but not all were able to escape in time.

“Once it was close to the ground, he told the passengers to jump from the basket. But some of them couldn’t do it and the fire grew,” Lemos said.

A witness told the local newspaper Razao that he saw people falling from the balloon while on fire, and that the basket broke off before the entire structure hit the ground.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed condolences to the victims’ families, saying, “I want to express my solidarity with the families of the victims.”

The crash marks the second fatal hot air balloon accident in Brazil within a week. Just days earlier, a woman died during a balloon ride in the state of São Paulo.

Authorities have since grounded ballooning operations in the affected area pending the outcome of the investigation.