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2nd April 2023
01:21pm BST
A married couple who burnt to death when a hot air balloon burst into flames have been named.
Jose Nolasco, 50, and his wife Viridiana Becerril, 39, were killed in the accident in Mexico on Saturday, and their daughter, Regina Itzani, is in hospital after jumping out of the airship after hugging her parents.
The 13-year-old is recovering in hospital from second-degree burns and a broken arm. She is expected to survived.
According to reports Regina suffered her injuries after leaping out of the balloon as it passed over the pre-Hispanic ruin site of Teotihuacan, just north of Mexico City.
A selfie photo of the family, said to have been taken moments before the tragedy, circulated on social media on Sunday.
The ride, according to reports, was a surprise birthday present Regina and her dad had organised for Viridiana.
Reyna Gloria Sarmiento, Regina’s grandmother, told local press the teen had not yet been told her parents had passed away in the accident.
“It was the birthday of my daughter, Viridiana, Regina’s mum, and they had prepared this ride as a surprise for her.”
Saying her granddaughter was “conscious” and stable in hospital, she also revealed she had hugged her parents before jumping out of the hot air balloon.
Footage taken from an onlooker showed the hot air balloon deflating as flames engulfed the basket below.
The Mirror reported that the onlooker could be heard saying in Spanish that "people are falling".
The pilot of the hot air balloon was also said to have jumped. His whereabouts and condition is not yet known.
Local reports suggest the fire could have been caused by a fault in the fuel storage system, but an investigation into the accident is ongoing.
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