A video of an airborne hot air balloon catching fire and plummeting to the earth is making its rounds on social media.
The incident was captured early Saturday morning (June 21) in Brazil's tourist center of Praia Grande, in the state of São Paulo.
The footage, captured by one of the few bystanders who witnessed the disaster, has since been confirmed by the local government, which has also stated that the incident claimed eight lives.
Highlights
- A hot air balloon carrying no less than 22 people crashed in Brazil
- Bystanders on the ground filmed the burning basket in the air
- Authorities say the incident claimed eight lives
The person filming the disaster can be heard whimpering and screaming
Image credits: Florian Haun / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
The video starts off depicting what appears to be a normal hot air balloon flight high above the treeline.
The flame from the burner heating the envelope can be seen from the ground as it keeps the craft airborne.
Without warning, the flames could be seen morphing into a violent blaze consuming the top of the basket. Less than a second later, the balloon itself catches fire and deflates, causing the entire structure to collapse, unravel, and fall toward the ground.
Image credits: reporterenato
The person filming the disaster, which has since made it to X, can be heard whimpering and then screaming as the burning mass unravels and falls toward the ground.
The post cited people throwing themselves out of the balloon
The balloon was reported to have been carrying 22 people, eight of whom have thus far been confirmed dead. Witnesses described the leisure craft as drifting along at altitude before catching fire.
Reports also indicate that some of the balloon passengers threw themselves out, which bystanders described as “terrible.”
Image credits: reporterenato
A Santa Catarina outlet also reported on the disaster, and according to them, the hot air balloon had more than 30 passengers.
It went on to say that among the passengers who did not survive was a psychologist by the name of Juliana Alves Prado Pereira, and her husband, Leandro de Aquino, who took the trip as part of their Valentine’s Day celebrations.
The outlet also reported that 11 people were injured.
Local authorities have since weighed in
Rescue teams have since been deployed.
An update from the local Fire Department, at 9:35 a.m., confirmed as much when it noted:
“The Santa Catarina Military Fire Department (CBMSC) is currently responding to a balloon crash in the municipality of Praia Grande, in the south of the state, which occurred on the morning of Saturday, June 21, 2025.”
Image credits: enf_intensiva
“The corporation confirms 4 deaths at the scene, and the other victims are being treated, searched for, and evaluated by our teams,” the notice continued.
This is not the first time a hot air balloon has gone down in Brazil
The last such accident experienced in Brazil took place on June 15 this year in the rural part of Capela do Alto in the state of São Paulo.
Image credits: enf_intensiva
The incident claimed the life of a 26-year-old woman and injured 10 others. Reports indicate that the balloon was unlicensed and intended for tourism or leisure, and its pilot was arrested.
The country’s social media has since picked up on the fatal trend, with one of its netizens observing:
“Lately, this type of accident involving balloons has become commonplace. Strange, isn't it???”
Image credits: enf_intensiva
The incident has also given rise to an anti–hot air balloon sentiment. An individual on social media summarized this when they said:
“Those balloons should be banned. If you want to release a balloon, release it without anyone else, that's dangerous.”
Different versions of the story have come to light, causing doubt on the internet
“From what I heard on the radio station in Rio Grande do Sul, the balloon descended close to the ground and the pilot instructed [passengers] to jump, but then it went up again. 14 survivors and 8 dead.”
Another weighed in with suspicions of the report’s authenticity:
“Analyze this news and update me if it is fake or true!” they wrote, asking Grok, X’s AI mechanism, to check if the story was real.
Social media is still coming to grips with the tragedy
