One dead after hot air balloon carrying 34 passengers crash-lands in Netherlands

Police have launched an investigation into the accident

Comments

Dutch police officers stand at the scene of a hot air balloon accident near De Hoeve (ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

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.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Thank you for registering

One dead after hot air balloon carrying 34 passengers crash-lands in Netherlands

Police have launched an investigation into the accident

Bookmark popover

Join our commenting forum

Thank you for registering