Some 21 passengers and a pilot were onboard when the accident happened in Brazil’s southern state of Santa Catarina on Saturday.
According to the local fire department, the balloon caught fire during the early morning flight and crashed in a forested area in the city of Praia Grande. Some of those killed died from injuries sustained from jumping from the basket.
The city is a popular tourist spot for balloon trips, with 25 to 30 flights departing daily in peak season. The area is known as the ‘Brazilian Cappadocia’ with dramatic canyon landscapes.
Thirteen survivors were transported to nearby hospitals. The pilot said the cause of the blaze was a blowtorch used to ignite the main flame.
The incident on Saturday was the second fatal balloon incident in the South American nation in less than a week. A balloon came down in Sao Paulo last weekend, killing one woman and injuring 11 people.
