1st LD Writethru: 8 killed in hot air balloon crash in Brazil

SAO PAULO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed Saturday when a hot air balloon carrying tourists caught fire and crashed in Praia Grande, a popular tourism destination in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, said regional authorities.

The balloon was carrying 21 people when it burst into flames and plummeted to the ground -- a scene captured on video by nearby tourists and widely shared on so