The death toll from the accident in the district of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a balloon crashed, reached five, the police announced yesterday Saturday (26/6).
For several hours, the accident caused power outages in the area as the balloon came in contact with high voltage cables.
“Unfortunately, four people succumbed to their injuries in the hot air balloon crash” and “another person was taken to a local hospital,” Albuquerque police initially said via Twitter. Later yesterday, the authorities announced that the injured man, a man, also succumbed to his injuries.
The accident caused power outages in 13,000 homes and businesses, according to local electricity company PNM. However, the supply was later restored “to all customers who were affected”, he clarified.
The balloon appears to have been swept away by the wind, struck by power cables and then engulfed in flames. His cart fell on a road in the West Side district, near a pharmacy, about 10 miles (10 km) from Albuquerque International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The balloon was detached from the basket after the crash and ended up at another point.
The victims ranged in age from 40 to 60 years. No injuries were reported on the ground.
