One person has been killed after a hot air balloon plummeted from the sky and bounced up and down multiple times in the Netherlands.
There were 34 people on board when the balloon crashed on Wednesday evening in a meadow in the province of Friesland.
Five passengers were injured as they fell out of the basket when the air balloon landed.
Local authorities confirmed the incident, stating the balloon ‘came down quickly around 9pm and hit the ground hard’.
The aircraft had taken off from Joure – a town infamous for its colourfulballoon festival that takes place every summer – at around 8pm local time.
Monique Hoogeslag of the Royal Netherlands Aeronautical Association (KNVvL) said that while the descent rate appeared normal, a sudden wind gust dramatically increased its forward speed just before touchdown.
Eyewitnesses reported the envelope and basket bounced several times across the field.
An air ambulance and 14 ambulances were deployed at the site to assist.
According to the Veiligheidsregio Fryslân, the injured passengers were taken to hospital.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the exact cause of the accident.
How safe are hot air balloons?
Hot air balloon accidents are relatively rare, but when they do happen, they can result in serious injuries or fatalities – with the majority during the landing phase.
In the UK, crashes do not happen often.
A study of accidents between 1976 and 2004 found 98, with two fatalities and 50 serious injuries, according to a report on ScienceDirect.
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