A man was killed following a hot air balloon disaster at a festival in Mexico, officials said.
Rodrigo Reyes Mugüerza, who serves as the secretary general of government in Zacatecas, reported that the accident took place during the “First Balloon Festival” celebrations.
“Tragically, a fatal accident occurred involving a hot air balloon,” Mugüerza mentioned in a Facebook post on Sunday. “Authorities promptly arrived at the location to offer assistance and support to those impacted. We have called upon the State Prosecutor’s Office to initiate investigations to uncover the details and ensure accountability,” he added.
The Zacatecas Attorney General’s Office stated in a translated Facebook post that an inquiry has been initiated after the event led to two individuals being injured. The post also noted that two of the event’s organizers were “detained” after initially leaving the scene.
Riviera Maya News reported that three people were in the hot air ballloon when the basket caught on fire around 8 a.m. local time Sunday. It was still on the ground with two other hot air balloons but broke free of the tether as a flame erupted in the basket.
The man helped the two others get out but he became entangled in a rope as the balloon lifted into the air, according to the news outlet.
He was seen suspended high in the air before falling to his death, the news outlet reported.
