WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- New Zealand authorities started an investigation Saturday after a hot air balloon hit power lines and burst into flames, killing all 11 people aboard.
The balloon was carrying five couples and the pilot when it crashed about 7:30 a.m. into farmland next to a highway near Carterton in the Wellington region, TVNZ reported.
Two of the victims -- a male and a female -- jumped from the balloon before it hit the ground.
Police said the balloon was trying to land in a paddock after a 45-minute scenic flight when it hit the power lines that ignited a fire in the basket, climbed sharply while engulfed in flames and then crashed.
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"It's a tragedy as bad as tragedies get," Sky News Australia quoted Wairarapa Area Police Commander Inspector Brent Register as saying.
The pilot of the balloon, operated by Hastings-based Early Morning Balloons, was identified as Lance Hopping. All five couples were from the Wellington region, officials said. They were not identified, pending notification of relatives.
Police and multiple agencies, including the Civil Aviation Authority, the Transport Accident and Investigation Commission, the Department of Labor and the New Zealand Fire Service, were investigating.
Conditions were ideal for ballooning, with little wind in Wairarapa, a popular destination for the aerial activity and the site of an annual balloon festival in March.
Jacqui O'Connor, a nurse visiting the area, witnessed the crash and rushed to the scene in hopes of helping victims.
"There was family there and that was horrendous," she said. "They were hugging, and there was wailing and complete and utter shock. Just unbelievable really."
