Five people have been confirmed dead following a tragic hot air balloon crash in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
As reported by BBC News, the tragic incident occurred early on Saturday morning just after 7:00AM (local time).
Video footage from the incident shows the moment the balloon plummeted to the ground in a deflated state. Officials from the Albuquerque Police Department later confirmed that the basket carrying the passengers had detached from the balloon and crashed to the ground below near Unser Boulevard and Central Avenue.
The male pilot, a male passenger, and two women died in the crash. A fifth passenger was transported to hospital, but police later confirmed in a tweet that he had died as a result of his injuries.
"Our prayers go out to the friends and family of all five people who tragically lost their lives," officials added.
NBC affiliate KOB of Albuquerque reports that police estimate the age of the deceased to range between 40 and 60 years old.
The balloon also hit a power line in the area, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said, which led to more than 13,000 residents being left without power.
Gallegos added, per Boston 25 News: "Our balloonists tend to be very much experts at navigating, but sometimes we have these types of tragic accidents."
Per the BBC, the Federal Aviation Administration has stated that the basket fell approximately 100 feet (30 meters) to a street below and later caught fire upon impact. The detached balloon floated off before being located in a separate location.
Speaking to KOB4 News, eye-witness Joshua Perez rushed to the scene when he heard a crash. Perez states that he and another man helped to turn off the balloon's propane tank, but claimed that those inside the basket were motionless.
He described the incident as "heartbreaking".
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller later said at a news conference: "This is a tragedy that is uniquely felt and hits uniquely hard at home here in Albuquerque and in the ballooning community."
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating the cause of the incident.
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