Man, 50, and woman, 38, dead and  girl injured after hot air balloon crash in Mexico City

A married couple has died and their daughter injured after a hot air balloon they were traveling in caught fire, moments after they posed for one last family photo in front of the downed plane.

The accident took place on Saturday in Mexico City and claimed the lives of two victims, José Nolasco, 50, and his wife Viridiana Becerril, 38, as confirmed by the Mexican authorities.

Video posted to social media by horrified onlookers shows the incident, with the balloon rapidly descending as it burst into flames. Chilling footage also shows occupants falling or jumping out of the craft, much to the dismay of onlookers.

The couple’s daughter, identified as Regina Itzani, was also in the balloon, police said, but is expected to survive. She is believed to have jumped from the ship and suffered a broken arm and second degree burns.

His age was not immediately clear. Some emerging reports suggest that he was 13, while some social media posts indicate that he was 23. A pilot was also reportedly on board the balloon and has yet to be located.

Scroll down for the video:

Video posted to social media by horrified onlookers shows the balloon rapidly descending as it burst into flames. It shows the occupants appearing to fall or jump out of the ship.

His age was not listed by the local police. The incident took place at the pre-Hispanic ruins of Teotihuacan, just north of the city, a popular site for both locals and tourists to participate in hot air balloon rides.

Best known for its twin Temples of the Sun and Moon, it was once a vast city that was home to over 100,000 pre-Aztec peoples and spanned approximately 8 square miles.

The ancient city was one of the largest in the world at its height between 100 B.C. C. and 750 d. C., before being abandoned before the rise of the Aztecs in the 13th century.

Images taken at the historic site show the hot air balloon deflating as flames rapidly engulf the basket below, where the Mexican family had been enjoying their ride.

A bystander can be heard saying, in Spanish, “My God, people are falling down” as one person falls to the ground, and another is seen jumping shortly after.

It was not immediately clear if that person was Regina or the hot air balloon pilot who is also said to have been on the plane.

He is believed to be the second person seen jumping from the basket in the footage, during which the balloon is quickly engulfed in flames. The whereabouts of the pilots are believed to be unknown, until Sunday.

The footage shows the hot air balloon deflating as flames rapidly engulf the basket below, where the Mexican family had been enjoying their trip.

A bystander can be heard saying, in Spanish, “My God, people are falling down” as one person falls to the ground, and another is seen jumping shortly after.

Yesterday, a selfie photo of the family taken moments before the hot air balloon caught fire was circulating on social media when news broke that the trip was a surprise birthday present that Regina and her father had arranged for Viridiana.

Reyna Gloria Sarmiento, Regina’s grandmother, told the local press that the teenager had not yet been told that her parents had died.

He added: “It was the birthday of my daughter Viridiana, Regina’s mother, and they had prepared this trip as a surprise for her.”

Saying that her granddaughter was “conscious” and stable at the hospital, Gloria also revealed that she had hugged her parents before jumping from the hot air balloon.

An investigation into the tragedy is ongoing. Initial local reports said it could be related to a fuel storage system failure.

Officials from the city council of Caujimalpa de Morelos, west of Mexico City, where the family came from, said in a statement: “We send our condolences to the family, friends and acquaintances of José Nolasco and Viridiana Becerril, who died in the Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Tragedy”. .

“Our solidarity and prayers are with Regina and we wish her a speedy recovery.”