Five dead after hot air balloon crashes into power lines in New Mexico
- The balloon hit power lines in the city of Albuquerque and crashed in the middle of a busy street, catching on fire, the Federal Aviation Administration said
- No identities have been released but fire officials said three men, including the pilot, and two women died
Five people died after a hot-air balloon they were travelling in hit power lines in New Mexico’s largest city, police said on Saturday.
The crash happened at around 7am local time on Albuquerque’s west side, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said. No identities have been released but fire officials said three men, including the pilot, and two women died.
Four were pronounced dead at the scene and the fifth person died after being taken to hospital in a critical condition, Gallegos said.
The multicoloured balloon skirted the top of the power lines, sending at least one dangling and knocking out power to more than 13,000 homes, Gallegos said.
The gondola fell about 100 feet (30 metres) and crashed in the middle of a busy street, catching on fire, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. Bystanders frantically called out for a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, video posted online showed.
The envelope of the balloon floated away, eventually landing on a residential rooftop, Gallegos said. The FAA did not immediately have registration details for the balloon but identified it as a Cameron 0-120.
Authorities have not determined what caused the crash. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were investigating.