Arizona hot air balloon crash leaves 4 dead, 1 injured

A hot air balloon crashed in southern Arizona killing four people and leaving one critically injured over the weekend.

Eloy Police Department  Chief Byron Gwaltney said eight skydivers survived the tragedy that took place in “an empty field in a desert area” of Eloy, a city in Pinal County about 65 miles southeast of Phoenix and 55 miles northeast of Tucson.

Shortly after the skydivers completed a successful jump from the balloon, Gwaltney said, “Something catastrophic occurred with the balloon, causing it to crash to the ground.”

During a press conference, Eloy mayor Micah Powell reported that the aircraft was carrying 13 adults at the time of the crash − its operator, four passengers, and eight skydivers.

The impact, Powell said, took place in “the world’s largest drop zone” for skydivers.