Four people are dead and one is in critical condition after a hot air balloon crashed into a power line Saturday morning in Albuquerque.
The hot air balloon with five people on board struck a power line about six miles west of the Albuquerque International Sunport Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the crash. The balloon's basket caught fire after crashing into the median of a busy street.
The crash caused power outages in the area, according to a tweet from the Albuquerque Police Department. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said the multi-colored balloon skirted the tops of power lines, knocking out power to more than 13,000 homes.
One person was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, New Mexico State Police spokesperson Dusty Francisco told USA TODAY. Traffic was shut down in the area following the crash, according to a tweet from the police department.
Francisco said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and are taking over the investigation into what caused the crash while New Mexico State Police will assist.
Albuquerque is a center for hot air ballooning in the U.S. and hosts a nine-day October event that draws crowds of hundreds of thousands. While accidents are uncommon, they can happen, Gallegos said.
“Our balloonists tend to be very much experts at navigating, but sometimes we have these types of tragic accidents,” he said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.
