ONE BODY HAS been recovered in the search for three people missing after a hot air balloon crash in the US state of Virginia, officials have confirmed.
A pilot and two passengers were on board the craft when the fire broke out.
A spokesperson for Virginia State Police said the operation was now transitioning from rescue to recovery.
The balloon caught fire and crashed last night, after colliding with a power line. Eyewitnesses said they saw the craft’s gondola in flames and heard screams for help.
Virginia State Police received calls about a balloon crash shortly before 8 pm last night. In a press update this morning, police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said one body had been recovered shortly after midnight.
She said a large-scale search was continuing for the two other occupants of the balloon, and for the craft’s wreckage.
Eyewitness
Carrie Hager-Bradley said she saw the balloon in flames on her way home from the grocery store and heard people yelling, according to WWBT TV.
“They were just screaming for anybody to help them,” the station quoted her as saying.
“‘Help me, help me, sweet Jesus, help. I’m going to die. Oh my God, I’m going to die,’” Hager-Bradley said she heard one person screaming.
The tragedy happened near the Meadow Event Park in Caroline County, site of the Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival.
The festival was scheduled to begin officially today, but was holding a special kick-off event Friday for a limited number of people. The festival has since been cancelled.
Includes reporting by Associated Press.
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