Two tourists, believed to be British, have been seriously injured in a horror hot air balloon crash in Mexico. One of the tourists is said to be in a “critical” condition.
The incident occurred just before 9am yesterday (March 16) in the Teotihuacan Valle, which is around 25 miles north-east of Mexico City.
According to local reports, the pilot allegedly lost control of the balloon after hitting power cables and this caused the basket to coming down on a nearby football pitch.
The two Brits have been named locally as Clare Wolstenholme, 43, and her partner Nicholas Wright, 49. Both are reportedly from London.
(Image: Facebook)
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They were treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital. The woman tourist is said to have suffered the worst injuries.
The company that took the two Brits out in the hot air balloon has been named by investigators as Happy Puerto.
The pilot, named locally as Santiago Torres, was taken in for questioning by state prosecutors with one unconfirmed report saying he had been arrested.
An investigation into the accident, which left people living near to the football pitch without electricity, was ongoing this morning (March 17).
Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency said in a statement late yesterday: “The Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) reports that at 8.40am this morning, in the municipality of Teotihuacan, State of Mexico, an incident was reported involving a hot-air balloon coming into contact with power lines.
“Two people were travelling in the aircraft, registered as XA-OZY and operated by Happy Puerto, who suffered burns from an electric shock.
“They were transferred to Mexico City for treatment at a private hospital. The AFAC is launching an administrative investigation into the incident.”
In June last year a hot air balloon caught fire and crashed in Praia Grande in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, killing eight of the 21 people on board.
In April 2023, a married couple burnt to death and their 13-year-old daughter was injured in a hot air balloon accident over the pre-Hispanic ruin site of Teotihuacan close to where yesterday morning’s drama occurred.
The pair killed were named as Jose Nolasco, 50, and his wife Viridiana Becerril, 39.
Footage of the tragedy taken by an onlooker showed the hot air balloon deflating as flames engulfed the basket below where the Mexican family were enjoying their ride.
The onlooker could be overheard saying in Spanish: “My God, people are falling” as a person plummeted to the ground.
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