Hot Air Balloon Carrying 32 Catches Fire and Crashes in Slovenia
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By: BNO News
Tags: Aviation accidents and incidents, balloons, hot air balloons, Slovenia
The balloon went down south of Ljubljana, Slovenia. (Map by NYCAviation/Google Maps)
At least four people were confirmed dead after a hot air balloon accident in the capital of Slovenia, local authorities said Thursday.
A group of 32 people were aboard the hot air balloon when it suddenly set ablaze and crashed down at around 8 am local time just south of the Slovenian capital, Ljunljana.
Local firefighters chief, Tomaz Kucic, told the STA news agency that all 32 people were accounted for after the accident, and a total of four people were killed, all of them charred beyond recognition.
Among the 32 on board were the pilot and co-pilot of the hot air balloon. Most of them were Slovenian nationals, but reports indicated that three were Italian and one was British.
Investigators also told the news agency that the accident was believed to be caused by wind shears, although official investigations are ongoing.
