5 die in hot air balloon crash in Albuquerque

Five people died after a hot air balloon they were riding in hit power lines in New Mexico’s largest city and the gondola crashed to the ground, police said Saturday.

The crash happened around 7 a. m. on Albuquerque’s west side, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said. No identities have been released but fire officials said three men, including the pilot, and two females died.

Four of them were pronounced dead at the scene, and the fifth person died after being taken to the hospital in critical condition, Gallegos said.

The multi- colored balloon skirted the top of the power lines, sending at least one dangling and knocking out power to more than 13,000 homes, Gallegos said.

The gondola fell about 100 feet and crashed in the median of a busy street, catching on fire, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Bystanders called out for a fire extinguisher to put out the flames and prayed aloud, video posted online showed.