A video of an airborne sizzling air balloon catching fireplace and plummeting to the earth is making its rounds on social media.

The incident was captured early Saturday morning (June 21) in Brazil’s vacationer heart of Praia Grande, within the state of São Paulo.

The footage, captured by one of many few bystanders who witnessed the catastrophe, has since been confirmed by the native authorities, which has additionally said that the incident claimed eight lives.

The individual filming the catastrophe may very well be heard whimpering and screaming

Picture credit: Florian Haun / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

Thevideo begins off depicting what seems to be a traditional sizzling air balloon flight excessive above the treeline.

The flame from the burner heating the envelope may very well be seen from the bottom because it stored the craft airborne.

With out warning, the flames may very well be seen morphing right into a violent blaze consuming the highest of the basket. Lower than a second later, the balloon itself catches fireplace and deflates, inflicting the whole construction to break down, unravel, and fall towards the bottom.

Picture credit: reporterenato

The individual filming the catastrophe, which has since made it to X, could be heard whimpering after which screaming because the burning mass unravels and falls towards the bottom.

The put up cited folks throwing themselves out of the balloon

The balloon was reported to have been carrying 22 folks, eight of whom have up to now been confirmed lifeless.Witnesses described the leisure craft as drifting alongside at altitude earlier than catching fireplace.

Stories additionally point out that a few of the balloon passengers threw themselves out, which bystanders described as “horrible.”

Picture credit: reporterenato

A Santa Catarinaoutlet additionally reported on the catastrophe, and in accordance with them, the new air balloon had greater than 30 passengers.

It went on to say that among the many passengers who didn’t survive was a psychologist by the title of Juliana Alves Prado Pereira, and her husband, Leandro de Aquino, who took the journey as a part of their Valentine’s Day celebrations.

The outlet additionally reported that 11 folks had been injured.

Native authorities have since weighed in

Que triste. Duas pessoas se jogaram do balão pegando fogo caiu em Santa Catarina. pic.twitter.com/6k3cCnq52l

— Pedro Ronchi (@PedroRonchi2) June 21, 2025

Rescue groups have since been deployed.

An replace from the native Fireplace Division, at 9:35 a.m., confirmed as a lot when it famous:

“The Santa Catarina Army Fireplace Division (CBMSC) is at the moment responding to a balloon crash within the municipality of Praia Grande, within the south of the state, which occurred on the morning of Saturday, June 21, 2025.

Picture credit: enf_intensiva

“The company confirms 4 deaths on the scene, and the opposite victims are being handled, looked for, and evaluated by our groups,” the discover continued.

This isn’t the primary time a sizzling air balloon goes down in Brazil

The final such accident skilled in Brazil came about on June 15 this within the rural a part of Capela do Alto within the state of São Paulo.

Picture credit: enf_intensiva

The incident claimed the lifetime of a 26-year-old girl and injured 10 others. Stories point out that the balloon was unlicensed and meant for tourism or leisure, and its pilot was arrested.

The nation’s social media has since picked up on the deadly pattern, with one among its netizensobserving:

“Currently, one of these accident involving balloons has turn out to be commonplace. Unusual, isn’t it???”

Picture credit: enf_intensiva

The incident has additionally given rise to an anti–sizzling air balloon sentiment. A person on social media summarized this once they mentioned:

“These balloons must be banned. If you wish to launch a balloon, launch it with out anybody else, that’s harmful.”

Totally different variations of the story have come to gentle, inflicting doubt on the web

🚨 TRAGÉDIA

Um balão com 22 pessoas acabou de cair aqui em SC 😱😱

Ainda não divulgaram o número de vítimas fatais pic.twitter.com/Fj4pkvdn95

— Enfermeiro do BRICS 🇧🇷 🇷🇺🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦 (@enf_intensiva) June 21, 2025

One netizenwrote:

“From what I heard on the radio station in Rio Grande do Sul, the balloon descended near the bottom and the pilot instructed [passengers] to leap, however then it went up once more. 14 survivors and eight lifeless.”

One other weighed in with suspicions of the report’s authenticity:

“Analyze this information and replace me whether it is faux or true!” they wrote,asking Grok, X’s AI mechanism, to test if the story was actual.

Social media remains to be coming to grips with the tragedy