Horrifying moment hot air balloon crashes and bursts into flames leaving three dead after being blown by wind into powerlines
- The balloon ran into trouble in rural eastern Georgia
This is the horrific moment a hot air balloon crashed and burst into flames, killing three after being blown into power lines by the wind.
The balloon ran into trouble in the countryside near the village of Asureti in eastern Georgia and shriveled up within seconds of making the connection.
It can be seen drifting close to the hill before hitting the power lines, with the flames in the basket area quickly intensifying.
Part of the balloon then falls to the ground as it is torn apart by the wind, still tethered to one of the electrical cables.
The plane, flown by two experienced pilots, appeared to have trouble coming down and even hitting the ground in a field, swaying back and forth before going out of control.
You can see the balloon floating close to the hill before it connects to a power line, with the flames in the basket area quickly intensifying
Part of the burning balloon then falls to the ground as it is torn apart by the wind, still tied to the electrical cable.
Reports say strong winds contributed to the tragedy.
One of the dead was named as well-known Imedi TV cameraman Misha Bidzinashvili.
Another was veteran pilot Revaz Uturgauri, founder of Sky Travel and chairman of the Georgian National Aeronautics Federation, according to reports in Georgia.
Polish pilot Krzysztof Zapart was also killed in the balloon tragedy, reports said.
The balloon took off from the stadium in Poti in western Georgia on Wednesday morning and flew to Kakheti in the east.
The destroyed balloon. The plane appeared to be in trouble as it came down and even hit the ground in a field, swaying back and forth before going out of control. Reports say strong winds contributed to the tragedy
One of the dead was named as well-known Imedi TV cameraman Misha Bidzinashvili
Another was veteran pilot Revaz Uturgauri (right), founder of Sky Travel and chairman of the Georgian National Aeronautics Federation, according to reports in Georgia. Polish pilot Krzysztof Zapart (left) also died in the balloon tragedy, reports said
One unconfirmed report says that this was a preliminary flight, after which the pilots would set a world record for the longest flight in a hot air balloon.
Georgian police opened an investigation into the incident due to a suspected violation of security rules.
It was the first hot air balloon accident in Georgia in almost two decades.
The images were shown by the TV channel Mtavari.
“The crash raises questions about the circumstances that led to the loss of control despite experienced pilots being at the helm,” a report said.
The cameraman’s death was confirmed by Imedi TV, which changed its programming schedule out of respect.