This is the horrifying moment a hot air balloon crashed and burst into flames leaving three dead after being blown by the wind into powerlines.
The balloon got into trouble in the countryside near the village of Asureti in eastern Georgia, shrivelling to cinders within seconds after making the connection.Â
It can be seen drifting close to the hillside before hitting the powerlines, with flames in the basket section quickly intensifying.
Part of the balloon then falls to the ground as it is shredded in the wind, still tethered to one of the powerlines.Â
How it Crashed
The aircraft, navigated by two experienced pilots, appeared to encounter problems coming down and even touching the ground in a field, swaying from side to side before it was blown out of control.
Why it Crashed
Reports say there were strong winds which contributed to the tragedy.
Number of Victims
One of the dead was named as well-known Imedi TV cameraman Misha Bidzinashvili.
Another was experienced pilot Revaz Uturgauri, founder of Sky Travel and president of the Georgian National Aeronautics Federation, according to reports in Georgia.
Polish pilot Krzysztof Zapart was also killed in the balloon tragedy, said reports.
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The Pilots Were Going to Make a Record
The balloon took off on Wednesday morning from the stadium in Poti in the west of Georgia and was flying to Kakheti in the east.
One unconfirmed account says this was a preparatory flight, after which the pilots were going to set a world record for the longest flight in a hot air balloon.
Georgian police opened an investigation into the incident as a suspected violation of safety rules.
It was the first hot air balloon accident in Georgia in nearly two decades.
The footage was shown by the Mtavari TV channel.
‘The crash raises questions about the circumstances leading to the loss of control, despite experienced pilots being at the helm,’ said one report.
The death of the cameraman was confirmed by Imedi TV, which changed its programme schedule as a mark of respect.
