A married couple died, while their daughter sustained injuries after their hot air balloon caught fire in Mexico City. According to The Independent, the terrifying incident occurred on Saturday near Teotihuacan's pre-Hispanic ruin site.
A viral video of the incident showed the hot air balloon catching on fire in the skies above Teotihuacan as onlookers yelled and a man's voice was heard appearing to yell, "Help me!" In the clip, posted on Twitter, one of the balloon's occupants also appeared to have fallen or jumped from the craft.
"This is a tragedy, Teotihuacan stands out again but not for good things, a hot air balloon catches fire and causes this," the caption of the post read in Spanish.
Take a look below:
According to the Independent, officials have said that a 50-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman died in the crash, and the girl, identified as Regina, suffered a broken arm and burns.
It is unclear if a pilot was aboard the craft when it caught on fire. The cause of the accident is now being investigated, authorities said.
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"The Cuajimalpa Mayor's Office extends its condolences to family, friends and acquaintances of Jose Nolasco and Viridiana Becerril who died this morning due to the collapse of a hot air balloon in Teotihuacan," local officials said in a statement in Spanish on Facebook, adding, "Our solidarity and prayers for Regina, wishing her a speedy recovery."
Meanwhile, as per NBC News, the skies above Teotihuacan are a popular site for balloon rides. The region is also known for its twin Temples of the Sun and Moon. the still-mysterious city was one of the largest in the world between 100 BC and AD 750, however, it was abandoned before the rise of the Aztecs in the 14th century.
