1 Dead After Hot-Air Balloon Crashes in Virginia, 2 Still Missing

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This photo, provided by Nancy Johnson, shows what authorities say is a hot-air balloon that was believed to have caught fire and crashed in Virginia, Friday, May 10, 2014.

Image: Nancy Johnson/Associated Press

By Neha Prakash2014-05-10 14:16:16 UTC

One body has been recovered from Friday night's hot-air balloon crash in Doswell, Virginia, Virginia State Police spokerperson Corinne Geller told Mashable. Two people are still missing, and recovery efforts are underway.

The balloon was one of three participating in the Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival; it took flight from Meadow Event Park at around 8 p.m. ET on Friday. While two of the balloons landed safely in a field, the third came in contact with a live utility line and quickly caught fire, according to Virginia State Police's Facebook page.

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Witnesses say two of the balloon's passengers jumped from the gondola before there was an explosion, and the gondola and balloon detached.

Nancy Johnson, who was attending the festival, described the scene to Mashable in an email: "All balloons were hovering behind event park then everyone just started pointing at sky. When I looked, the basket of balloon was engulfed in flames from there crowd just went silent and watched in shock."

The search for the passengers has shifted from a rescue to a recovery operation due to the time that has passed since the crash, the AP reported. As of 4 a.m. ET, the balloon's wreckage has yet to be found.

In this map, you can see Doswell, Virginia, roughly 15 miles north of Richmond, Virginia, where the balloon crashed:

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Topics: crash, U.S., US & World, virginia