1 person dead after hot air balloon crash in Netherlands

AMSTERDAM — One person has died and five others were injured after a hot air balloon crash-landed late on Wednesday evening (Aug 13) in a meadow in Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands, local authorities said.

The balloon was carrying 34 passengers.

“The hot air balloon came down quickly around 9pm (3am on Thursday in Singapore time) and hit the ground hard”, Friesland authorities said, adding that the police had launched an investigation into the accident.

A spokesperson for the Royal Netherlands Aeronautical Association said in local media reports that a sudden gust of wind had caused the balloon to strike the ground forcefully, making the basket bounce and leading to five people falling out.

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