The pilot of the hot-air balloon that today caught fire mid-air in southern Brazil urged passengers to jump before it crashed to the ground and killed eight, it has been revealed.
Chief of police of the Santa Catarina state Ulisses Gabriel revealed that the wind was 'quite strong' and that several people had to hold the balloon when it first took off.
'There was a truck pulling the balloon with a cable, which was moving very intensely from side to side,' he told Brazilian broadcaster Globo News.
Mr Gabriel added that it is possible gas leaked up due to the intense movement, ultimately causing the tarpaulin to burn.
'Despite it being flame-retardant, there was an intense fire. The balloon went up and, after a while, ended up coming down, and that was when 13 people, including the pilot, managed to get out,' he said.
