In a stunning twist of events, an air mishap has recently rocked the skies, leaving three individuals aboard a hot-air balloon fortunate to escape grave harm as their craft collided with electrical infrastructure over Rochester.
The crash unfolded just before 7 p.m. on the city’s southern outskirts, along U.S. Highway 63 between 40th and 48th Streets Southeast, according to authorities from the Rochester Police Department.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Hot Air Balloon crashes in Rochester, Minnesota after hitting power lines; no serious injuries were reported pic.twitter.com/TDJLUicZjN
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Initial reports suggest that as the balloon attempted to touch down in a field, a sudden gust of wind propelled it into a power line, causing the basket to disconnect and plummet approximately 20-30 feet to the ground.
Thankfully, two of the occupants sustained only minor injuries, and the incident sparked a small brush fire covering roughly 100 feet by 100 feet, swiftly extinguished by firefighting crews.
Following the separation from its basket, the balloon embarked on an aimless journey, eventually being recovered several miles away from the initial scene.
The Rochester Police Department revealed that both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations into the details surrounding the incident.
