One person dead after hot air balloon crash in Netherlands
A hot air balloon crash-landed in Friesland, killing one and injuring five after a sudden gust caused a hard impact, authorities said.
- Europe
- Reuters
- Published Date: 11:05 | 14 August 2025
One person has died and five others were injured after a hot air balloon crash-landed late on Wednesday evening in a meadow in Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands, local authorities said.
The balloon was carrying 34 passengers.
"The hot air balloon came down quickly around 9 p.m. and hit the ground hard", Friesland authorities said, adding that the police had launched an investigation into the accident.
A spokesperson for the Royal Netherlands Aeronautical Association said in local media reports that a sudden gust of wind had caused the balloon to strike the ground forcefully, making the basket bounce and leading to five people falling out.