A newlywed woman died and 11 people were injured when a hot air balloon crashed in a field.
It is still not clear what caused the accident, but locals reported seeing the balloon flying unusually low moments before the impact.
A survivor told how it hit the ground twice – throwing four people out of the basket – before coming to a stop.
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The pilot, an assistant, and 33 passengers were on board when the horror unfolded on Sunday (15 Jun) morning.
They had taken off from Boituva and crashed in a rural part of Capela do Alto, west of São Paulo, Brazil.
The deceased victim has been named as Juliana Alves Prado Pereira, originally of Pouso Alegre.
The 27-year-old had gone on the tour with her husband, Leandro de Aquino Pereira, as a belated Valentine’s Day treat.
Dia dos Namorados – or Lovers’ Day – is celebrated on 12 June in Brazil.
Juliana was a psychologist and also worked in recruitment and selection at her alma mater.
She and Leandro had only recently got married, as reported by Need To Know.
His aunt, Jéssica Aquino Pereira, told local media: “She really wanted to go on that ride. But honestly, how do you put 33 people in a balloon in weather like that?
“The weather was awful today, very windy – it was complete negligence by those responsible for putting them in there.”
The pilot was arrested at the scene on suspicion of manslaughter and of non-compliant balloon operation.
Police say his documents were not in order and that he was only licensed for private flights.
The 11 injured were taken to a local A&E and to a hospital in Sorocaba.
Their injuries are minor, according to local media.
Other hot air balloon flights in Boituva were cancelled on Sunday due to the adverse weather.
A Brazilian Ballooning Confederation spokesperson said: “This balloon has no official documentation.
“The city hall has shut this company down several times, but it continues to operate illegally.”
Air accident investigators are working to discover what caused the crash.
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