2 Dead in Hot Air Balloon Accident Outside of Mexico City

A hot-air balloon pilot pilots a hot-air balloon over Johannesburg, South Africa, May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Sumaya Hisham
A hot-air balloon pilot pilots a hot-air balloon over Johannesburg, South Africa, May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Sumaya Hisham
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2 Dead in Hot Air Balloon Accident Outside of Mexico City

A hot-air balloon pilot pilots a hot-air balloon over Johannesburg, South Africa, May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Sumaya Hisham
A hot-air balloon pilot pilots a hot-air balloon over Johannesburg, South Africa, May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Sumaya Hisham

Two people died and a girl was injured after the hot air balloon they were riding in caught fire near Mexico City, authorities said Saturday.

Officials in the state of Mexico, which borders the capital, said the girl suffered burns and a broken arm, The Associated Press reported.

According to a video of the incident posted on social media, the occupants of the balloon appeared to have fallen or jumped from the craft.

The dead were listed as a male, 50, and a woman, 38.

The accident occurred near the pre-Hispanic ruin site of Teotihuacan, just north of Mexico City. The area is a popular location for balloon rides.

The cause of the accident was under investigation.

Teotihuacan, best known for its twin Temples of the Sun and Moon, was once a large city that housed over 100,000 inhabitants and covered around 8 square miles (20 square kilometers).

The still-mysterious city was one of the largest in the world at its apex between 100 B.C. and A.D. 750. But it was abandoned before the rise of the Aztecs in the 14th century.



Dozens of Exotic Animals Seized at Turkish Border

A woman covers with an umbrella against the rain during a summer storm at Kadikoy ferry terminal in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A woman covers with an umbrella against the rain during a summer storm at Kadikoy ferry terminal in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Dozens of Exotic Animals Seized at Turkish Border

A woman covers with an umbrella against the rain during a summer storm at Kadikoy ferry terminal in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A woman covers with an umbrella against the rain during a summer storm at Kadikoy ferry terminal in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Turkish customs officials in the northwestern city of Edirne discovered dozens of exotic animals being smuggled into Türkiye from Greece, The Associated Press said.

State-run Anadolu Agency reported that the mid-sized sedan with Greek license plates was carrying three kangaroos, three alpacas and one Patagonian mara in the trunk, and 12 parrots and 23 flying squirrels inside the vehicle. Many of the animals are juveniles.

Photos from the scene show the larger animals bound and squeezed together in tight confinement, while the smaller ones were crowded in cages.

The private Demiroren News Agency identified the driver of the vehicle as Yuksel D., who was subsequently detained by authorities.

All the animals survived and will be delivered to the Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks.