Hot air balloon crashes in New Zealand, killing 11

[News_Editor]

Hot air balloon crashes in New Zealand, killing 11

2012-01-08 02:27:21 GMT+7 (ICT)

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (BNO NEWS) -- Eleven people were killed on early Saturday morning when a hot air balloon crashed near a town on the North Island of New Zealand, police said. There were no survivors.

The accident happened at around 7:25 a.m. local time when the hot air balloon hit wires on a power line, causing the basket to catch fire before plummeting to the ground. It happened near the town of Carterton in the Wellington Region.

Wairarapa Area Commander Inspector Brent Register said the balloon had taken off from Carterton between 6:40 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. local time. After a 45-minute flight, the balloon was to land in a paddock in the same town.

"At this point, two of the 11 people onboard, believed to be a male and a female, appear to have jumped from the basket," Register said. After they jumped, he said, the balloon is believed to have made a sharp ascent before plummeting into the ground.

All 11 people on board, including the pilot and five couples from the wider Wellington region, were killed in the crash.

"This is an absolutely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the families of the deceased. We are in the process of notifying next of kin however we will not be releasing any names until all next of kin have been advised," said Wellington District Commander Superintendent Mike Rusbatch.

New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it opened an investigation into the accident. "The Commission conducts safety focused investigations with the aim of being able to explain the causes of an accident, so that lessons and recommendations can be drawn in order to help reduce the likelihood of a similar event in the future," a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee expressed his condolences on behalf of the New Zealand government. "We are deeply sorry to learn of this tragic accident and our hearts go out to those who are now mourning the loss of life," he said. "Experts will be looking to learn any lessons from the investigations which have begun today which can help improve safety for others in the future."

Hot air balloon accidents are uncommon, and Saturday's accident was the second deadliest of its kind in history. The deadliest accident happened in August 1989 when two balloons collided over the Northern Territory of Australia, causing one of them to crash to the ground, killing all 13 people on board.

More recently, in January 2011, two people were killed when a hot air balloon crashed in the town of Midsomer Norton in Somerset, England. And in April 2010, two people were killed when a hot air balloon carrying 14 people crashed near the village of Suwaihan, southeast of Dubai.

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