by AP - A hot air balloon burst into flames and crashed to the ground in New Zealand on Saturday, killing all 11 people on board, after apparently hitting a power line.
The balloon came down in calm weather near Carterton, a small town north of the capital Wellington and a popular area for ballooning, in New Zealand’s worst aviation disaster in more than 30 years.
“It appears a fire has ignited on board, causing the hot air balloon to crash in farmland. Sadly, the pilot and 10 passengers onboard have not survived,†Wellington district police commander Mike Rusbatch said.
One witness, David McKinlay, told reporters he looked up to see one side of the basket on fire and “all of a sudden there was just 10 meters of flamesâ€.
“It was like a rocket coming down; it was just unbelievable,†he said.
McKinlay, who alerted the emergency services, said the balloon was about 150 meters in the air when it suddenly plummeted to the ground.
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