In a harrowing turn of events, hot air balloon pilot Victor Guzman leaped from the flaming aircraft, abandoning a couple to their tragic fate. The husband and wife perished in the inferno, while their thirteen-year-old daughter was left critically injured, following the disastrous incident in Mexico’s Teotihuacán.
Guzman escaped the fiery balloon from a height of sixteen feet, sustaining burns to his face and arms. He received medical treatment on Saturday, only to be arrested on Sunday for his failure to assist the desperate family during their time of crisis.
The balloon, now a searing ball of fire, ascended over 130 feet before plummeting back to the ground, claiming the lives of 50-year-old Jose Nolasco and 39-year-old Viridiana Becerril. Their young daughter, Regina Itzani, miraculously survived the catastrophe but is currently in critical condition, suffering from a broken arm and second-degree burns.
Authorities have slapped Guzman with two homicide charges, alleging that he abandoned the flaming hot air balloon due to his inability to handle the emergency. The State of Mexico Attorney General’s Office is currently investigating the matter.
The ill-fated hot air balloon ride was intended as a surprise for Becerril, organized by her mother, Reyna Sarmiento. Tragically, a gas issue ignited the balloon, engulfing it in flames.
Sarmiento later recounted the heart-wrenching story of the young survivor, saying, “The girl tells us that the gas tank there, the hydrostatic gas tank, started to light up, and that was what started to burn. She says her parents hugged her, but she turned away from them, and she jumped.”
The Federal Aviation Agency has taken charge of the investigation, seeking to determine if the company employing Guzman was authorized to operate hot air balloon rides and possessed the requisite insurance to cover such accidents. Autocinema Retroviso, the company involved, is owned by Zaid Sanchez, whose uncle, Mario Vidal, serves as the commissioner of Teotihuacán’s public security department, raising suspicions of possible corruption.
The Teotihuacán Hot Air Balloon Federation has confirmed that Autocinema Retroviso was not registered as an official provider of hot air balloon rides.
In a statement, the federation expressed the urgent need for authorities to act decisively, shutting down unregulated companies that jeopardize the safety of those operating within the legal framework and endangering those visiting the Teotihuacán archaeological site.
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Source: AWM
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