A quick-thinking hot air balloon pilot whose aircraft went up in a catastrophic fireball and crashed to the ground helped 13 people survive the tragedy, it has emerged.

Witnesses looked on in horror as theballoon suddenly caught fire and plummeted from the sky in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina today, killing eight people. Many described seeing smoke billowing from theballoon as it plunged towards the ground, with two people seen falling through the air as thefire engulfed the entire aircraft. Thirteen people survived out of the 21 people on board, including the pilot, who has now been credited with saving their lives.

READ MORE: Brazil hot air balloon LIVE: Eight dead as passengers 'throw themselves out'

The pilot is said to have told the passengers to jump out of the basket as the balloon fell to the ground, with those who leapt quickly enough believed to be the ones who survived.

Praia Grande police chief Tiago Luiz Lemos told the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper: "According to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket and then he began to lower the balloon. When the balloon was very close to the ground, he ordered people to jump out of the basket.

"Some of them didn't manage to jump. The fire increased and the balloon ended up falling."

Witnesses said they saw a number of people jumping from the balloon as it dropped.

Reacting to the news that eight people had died, regional governor Jorginho Mello said in a video on X: "We are in mourning.

"A tragedy has happened.

"We will see how it unfolds, what happened, why it happened. But the important thing now is for the state structure to do what it can."

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote on the social media platform: "I wish to express my solidarity with the families of the victims of the accident involving a hot air balloon that occurred this Saturday morning in Santa Catarina.

"And to place the Federal Government at the disposal of the victims and the state and municipal forces working on the rescue and care of the survivors."

Local media reported that the balloon's expected flight time was 45 minutes, with the balloon reaching a height 1,000 metres, and cost 550 Brazilian real (around £75) per passenger.

Praia Grande is a common destination for hot-air ballooning, a popular activity in the south of Brazil during the June festival season.
The incident is only the latest involving a hot air balloon in Brazil, and last Sunday a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people.