One person has died and five others sustained injuries after a hot air balloon carrying 34 passengers crash-landed violently in a meadow in Friesland, northern Netherlands, on Wednesday evening.
Local authorities in Friesland confirmed the incident, stating the balloon "came down quickly around 9 pm and hit the ground hard".
A spokesperson for the Royal Netherlands Aeronautical Association, quoted in local media, attributed the forceful impact to "a sudden gust of wind [that] had caused the balloon to strike the ground forcefully, making the basket bounce and leading to five people falling out".
Police have launched an investigation into the accident.
