Hot air balloon crashes in New Zealand, 11 people injured

WELLINGTON: A hot air balloon crash near Queenstown, New Zealand's South Island, injured eleven persons on Friday, according to the sources.

According to the sources, a police spokesperson on the scene verified that at least one person was critically hurt with the remaining ten suffering minor or moderate injuries.

A big semi-deflated balloon was seen through tree branches in the scene's visual contents.

Numerous electricity lines were stated to be visible at the scene.

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The power company switched off the power at the request of emergency services, leaving at least 160 homes in adjacent suburbs without power.

A hot balloon ride is one of New Zealand's most popular tourist attractions, yet disaster has struck before. In 2012, 11 people died in a balloon crash.

Although there is no indication that this crash was caused by wrongdoing, a witness claimed to have observed a plummet landing this time.

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