Man, 50, and woman, 38, dead and  girl injured after hot air balloon crash in Mexico City

A hot air balloon crashed and caught fire in Mexico City, killing a married couple and injuring their daughter. Moments before the accident, the family had taken a final photo in front of the aircraft. Video footage shared on social media shows the balloon rapidly descending as it burst into flames while onlookers watched occupants falling or jumping from the craft. The balloon ride had taken place over the pre-Hispanic ruin site of Teotihuacan, a popular site for local residents and tourists for balloon rides.

The daughter, Regina Itzani, survived the crash after jumping out of the burning basket and breaking her arm and suffering second-degree burns. However, the pilot of the balloon was reportedly also onboard and has not yet been located. Police confirm the cause of the accident is under investigation, and officials from Caujimalpa de Morelos sent condolences to the family and wished Regina a speedy recovery.

Globally, hot air balloon accidents are rare, with approximately 3,000 incidents recorded per year. From 2000 to mid-2016, only 21 fatalities involving hot air balloons occurred in the United States alone. However, similar incidents have recently occurred worldwide, such as the 2022 accident in Egypt, where a hot air balloon carrying 28 Western tourists crashed after hitting another balloon mid-air. Two passengers were lightly injured and transported to the hospital.

The hot air balloon crash in Mexico comes just over a week after another incident in China where a plane packed with tourists crashed into a lake before starting to sink. Rescuers eventually arrived and pulled the passengers ashore, and no one was injured in the crash.



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