Hot Air Balloon Explodes in Mid-Air over Mexico, Resulting in 2 Fatalities as Passengers Jump to Safety.

A hot-air balloon flying over the famous Teotihuacan archaeological site near Mexico City caught fire, resulting in the death of two people and injuries to three others. The incident occurred when the hot-air balloon collapsed due to an internal fire. Municipal officials received a call at 8:40 am on Saturday reporting the incident. The government of the state of Mexico stated that “the passengers jumped from the balloon,” adding that a child suffered second-degree burns to the face and a fracture as a result of the incident. The victims were identified as a 39-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man, and the minor who was injured was not named. A video posted on social media shows the balloon’s gondola on fire in a clear sky. Teotihuacan is a popular tourist destination, attracting millions of tourists each year from all over the world. Several tour operators offer balloon flights over Teotihuacan for around $150. With its Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, and its Avenue of the Dead, Teotihuacan is a surviving monument to the pre-Columbian period, built 1,000 years prior to the Aztecs and considered one of the largest in the ancient world.