In Mexico City, a hot air balloon carrying a husband and wife caught fire and crashed to the earth just as they were taking one last family picture in front of it. Their daughter was hurt.
Jose Nolasco, 50, and his wife Viridiana Becerril, 38, perished in the accident that occurred in Mexico City on Saturday, April 1. This has been confirmed by Mexican officials.
Witnesses captured the balloon’s quick descent and subsequent ensuing explosion on camera and uploaded it on social media. The terrifying video also appears to show passengers jumping or falling from the craft.
Hot air balloon catastrophe kills husband and wife; daughter is hospitalized
Mexican authorities said their daughter, Regina Itzani, broke her arm when she jumped from the fiery gondola. Despite her broken arm and second-degree burns, Itzani is expected to survive.
The family, from the city of Caujimalpa de Morelos, was on a joyride over the pre-Hispanic ruin site of Teotihuacan, a popular tourist area.
Footage taken at the historic site shows the hot air balloon deflating as flames quickly engulf the basket below, where the Mexican family had been enjoying their ride.
An onlooker can be overheard saying, in Spanish, “My God, people are falling” as a person plummets to the ground, with another seen jumping soon after.
The craft also appears to be tethered to the ground, though cops have yet to confirm why, or whether a pilot had been present when the basket went ablaze.
The cause of the accident is currently under investigation, police in Mexico City said Sunday
