Five people were killed when a hot air balloon crashed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This balloon got entangled in the electric wires.
Hot air balloon crashes in New Mexico
In New Mexico, America, a hot air balloon crashed after being hit by power lines. Five people died in this accident. The police informed about this. The balloon crashed to the ground after being hit by power lines. Police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said the accident happened at 7 a.m. on the west side of Albuquerque. The identity of the deceased has not been revealed yet. But fire officials said that three men and two women, including the pilot, died.
Gallegos said four people died on the spot. At the same time, the fifth person died in the hospital in serious condition. He told that this balloon got entangled on the top of the power lines. Due to this a wire broke and more than 13 thousand houses lost their electricity. The Federal Aviation Administration said the balloon fell from a height of 100 feet in the middle of a busy road and then caught fire. Passers-by immediately informed the fire department about the incident so that the fire could be extinguished.
Difficult to control the balloon in strong wind
A police spokesman said that the envelope of the balloon detached from it and landed on the roof of a house. Officials are yet to determine what caused the accident. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudsen said two investigators have been sent to the scene, who will look at the balloon and operating conditions. A preliminary inquiry report will usually be released in a few weeks. Gilbert Gallegos said that hot air balloons are very difficult to control, especially when strong winds start blowing.
Albuquerque is the Mecca of Hot Air Balloons
Albuquerque is known as the Mecca for hot air balloons. The city hosts a nine-day event in October, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots from around the world. It is one of the most photographed events globally. Albuquerque-area residents get to see balloons floating in the sky with homes and the Rio Grande all year round. Although, balloon accidents do not happen here early, but sometimes such accidents keep coming to the fore. Since 2008, there have been 12 hot air balloon accidents in the US. Two of these came out in Rio Rancho outside Albuquerque. One accident happened in 2008, while the other happened in January this year.
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