A hot air balloon struck and collapsed a radio tower in the US – the second time a balloon has hit the structure in 20 years.
There were no reports of injuries in Friday’s incident in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The balloon, which had three people on board, landed safely in a field after it struck the tower, police said.
A radio tower collapsing after a hot air balloon struck it. Pic: Curt Fargo via AP
Police officers at the scene after a hot air balloon hit a radio tower and knocked it over. Pic: Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP
The tower transmits radio signal for KKOB-AM, a local radio station.
The Aerostar International Inc S-57A balloon took off from a park as part of the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, said the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating.
In 2004, a balloon shaped like a bear’s face got wrapped around the same radio tower during the festival, forcing the pilot and two passengers to climb most of the way down the structure.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue repsonds to the incident – the second time the tower as been hit in the last two decades. Pic: Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP
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Another balloon bumped into a power line earlier this week in Albuquerque on the festival’s third day, leaving nearly 13,000 customers without power for almost an hour.
The festival is one of the most popular in the area, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to New Mexico to look at more than 100 balloons.
