Balloon makes difficult landing in Nyaung-U

A hot air balloon sponsored by a Swiss group that makes annual ballooning trips to Myanmar made a difficult landing in the middle of the country on Monday (February 10).

Despite the rough landing near the banks of the Ayeyawady River, no one was hurt in the accident.

“The hot air balloon dropped down and was dragged along the fields of beans and pulses before coming to a stop. It fell on top of one of the huts, and its cloth was torn,” said a man who witnessed the scene.

The hot air balloon was driven by a Mr. Steiner. He and his two passengers, a man and a woman, began their ride at the Bagan Laawka Nanda water pumping project. The crash landing occurred on the Naung-U side.

The hot air balloon was rented by Peter Blaser, a Swiss businessman whose group first visited Myanmar in March 1999 for a balloon flight over Hlaing Tharyar Township in Yangon. They usually come to Myanmar for ballooning at this time of year, when the weather is fine.

This time, there were eight pilots, 21 members and seven hot air balloons. The group had plans to ride over Mandalay, Sagaing, Monywa, Bagan, Inle and Pindaya.

via – Eleven Myanmar.