Balloon with 33 crew members crashes in the interior of SP and one person dies

A balloon carrying 33 people crashed in the city of Capela do Alto, in the interior of São Paulo, on the morning of Sunday the 15th. A pregnant woman, who was in the balloon, died as a result of the accident.

According to the São Paulo Public Security Department, the accident occurred at around 7:50 a.m. this Sunday. The victim was taken to a hospital in Sorocaba (SP), but did not survive his injuries. The passengers received first aid from the Municipal Civil Guard at the scene of the accident.

According to reports, during the flight, the pilot, who has not been identified, tried to land in unsuitable areas and was unable to do so, which resulted in the passengers falling. The Tatuí police station, which took over the case, ordered the pilot's arrest for manslaughter.

In addition to the Civil Police, the Criminalistics Institute (IC) and the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa) were also called to investigate the case.

About half an hour away from where the accident occurred, the 38th Brazilian Hot Air Ballooning Championship was taking place. The balloon flight scheduled for Sunday morning was canceled by the organization for safety reasons, due to the forecast of strong winds.

The report contacted the Brazilian Ballooning Confederation, but received no response.