Two people have been killed and a third injured in Mexico after a balloon caught fire near the archaeological site of Teotihuacan, a major tourist attraction in the country, authorities confirmed Saturday.
The Mexico City government, which includes the capital, said in a statement "The occupants of the airship jumped out of it".
Mexico ????????? ! Breaking news!??????? Saturday, April 01, 2023, in the morning hours. a hot air balloon catches fire and collapses in Teotihuacan, 2 people are reportedly dead. The events this occurred morning in the vicinity of the Pyramid of the Sun and the area was cordoned off. pic.twitter.com/DlzJdv2oHH
– Lenar (@Lerpc75) April 1, 2023
The statement added that a 39-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man died, and a minor suffered first- and second-degree facial burns and a fracture of the right femur, without specifying the total number of passengers, according to AFP.
A video clip broadcast by several media outlets showed the flaming balloon in a completely clear sky.
The statement indicated that the balloon fell in a field belonging to the municipality of Teotihuacan in the center of the country.
Several tour operators are offering to take passengers on a hot-air balloon ride over the site of Teotihuacan, about 70 km northeast of Mexico City, for around $150.
Teotihuacan, with its pyramids, including the Pyramid of the Sun and the Moon and the Way of the Dead, is the most important monument of the pre-Hispanic classical period, which flourished between the first and seventh centuries in the Valley of Mexico.
