Saturday 11 October, 2008

Fatality at balloon festival

A balloon fiesta in Mexico has ended in horror as one man died and another critically injured.

Both of the men in the balloon were thrown to the ground and their balloon continued to drift through the sky with a burning propane tank attached and burning debris dropping from it.

The annual balloon fiesta attracts tens of thousands of tourists to Albuquerque each year, but fatalities are not rare.

Last year, a 60-year-old woman fell at least 70 feet to her death, and three other women were taken to hospital after their balloon also hit a power line.

Twenty-six years ago, four people died when propane tanks exploded in their balloon.

© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.