Mello said in a post on X that 21 people were on board when the balloon went down on Saturday morning in the city of Praia Grande.

At least eight people have died in a hot air balloon crash in southern Brazil, according to the Governor of Santa Catarina, Jorginho Mello.

Mello said in a post on X that 21 people were on board when the balloon went down on Saturday morning in the city of Praia Grande.

Giving an update, he said, “21 people on board - 8 fatalities, 13 survivors.

“Our teams continue to provide all necessary support to the families and victims. We continue to monitor the situation.”

The pilot is among the survivors, and no one is reported missing. The BBC reported that Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) stated it is taking all necessary steps to investigate the condition of the aircraft and its crew.

"According to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket, so he started to lower the balloon, and when the balloon was very close to the ground he told people to jump," officer Tiago Luiz Lemos, from the Praia Grande police station, told reporters at the scene.

"They started to jump, but some people did not manage to. The flames started to grow and because of the weight, the balloon began to rise again.

"It later fell because of a loss of suspension."

The victims included two couples, a mother and daughter, an ophthalmologist, and a figure skater.

The survivors were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The balloon tour company, Sobrevoar Serviços Turísticos, which operated the flight, has suspended its operations indefinitely.

The company stated that it had fully complied with all regulations set by Anac and had no prior history of accidents.

In a post on his X handle, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his “solidarity with the families of the victims of the balloon accident that occurred this Saturday morning in Santa Catarina”.

“I would like to place the Federal Government at the disposal of the victims and the state and municipal forces that are working on the rescue and care for the survivors,” he added.

BREAKING: Hot air balloon carrying 21 people crashes in southern Brazil pic.twitter.com/02fvbjSAoN

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