Two People Injured During Hot Air Balloon Mishap at Festival in Albuquerque

Oct. 9, 2019

Two people were thrown from a hot air balloon after a rough landing that caused a fire and power outage at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta on Monday, officials said.

Event spokesman Tom Garrity said the pilot and passenger were ejected from the craft after the landing. The balloon then blew away and slammed into a power line causing the gondola to catch fire.

The two injured people were taken to a hospital but released after receiving treatment.

A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration told ABC News the agency was investigating the incident.

The balloon’s collision with the power lines caused an outage that lasted about an hour in the suburb of Rio Rancho.

“For the most part, [accidents like the one Monday] are not a regular occurrence,” Meaghan Cavanaugh, spokesperson for New Mexico’s Public Service Company, told ABC News.

“We always hope this type of stuff doesn’t happen but we know how important it is to be ready in the event it does happen.”

The International Balloon Fiesta runs until Oct. 13.

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