Two dead and three injured were reported this Saturday after the fire and fall of a hot air balloon in the San Juan Teotihuacán municipality, in the State of Mexico, located in the center of the country, according to state authorities.
The tragic accident occurred in the early hours of this Saturday around the archaeological zone of the Teotihuacán Pyramids, some 50 kilometers from the Mexican capital, the EFE news agency reported.
Initial reports indicated that the balloon, belonging to a tourist services company, rose and gained height and as it began to descend, the basket where the travelers were staying began to catch fire, and later collapsed. Presumably the balloon did not have official permission.
According to versions of witnesses, before the disappearance, the travelers began to ask for help, shouting in despair, to the point where a young woman jumped from the basket into the void.
Being a federal zone, the agents of the Mexican Army arrived at the place where the bodies were left. The State Police and Civil Protection personnel of the State of Mexico were also present, as well as the Petition Services personnel, in charge of lifting the bodies.
Hot air balloon trips are a common practice in the area of the State of Mexico where the accident occurred, where companies offer rides in the early hours of the day so that tourists can see the sunrise, the sunrise and a panoramic view of the Teotihuacan pyramids.
With information from the EFE agency