Hot air balloon crashes in western Germany, killing pilot
August 17, 2020
One person died and two others were badly injured in a hot air balloon crash in western Germany's Rhine region late Sunday.
Police said the balloon was carrying seven people when it got caught in a gust of wind during its landing approach south of Koblenz.
It hit the ground several times, throwing four passengers out. The wind then dragged the aircraft down a rugged slope towards the Rhine, where it got caught in some trees above a railway line near the town of St. Goar.
More than 100 rescue workers were involved in a complex operation to retrieve the remaining three passengers from the site.
Police said the pilot died of his injuries, while the others on board were taken to hospital — two of them in a serious condition. The balloon is expected to be recovered later in the week.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. The Rhine region has been hit by a number of summer storms over the past several days.
Read more: Hot air balloon crashes into power lines in German city of Bottrop
nm/aw (AFP, dpa)