HORRIFIC

Hot Air Balloon Pilot Charged With Homicide After Couple Die in Flaming Crash

The couple’s daughter, 13, survived with burns and a broken bone.

The pilot of a hot air balloon that set on fire and crashed in Mexico has been charged with homicide after a married couple were killed in the disaster. José Edgar Nolasco, 50, had reportedly booked the flight over the pyramids of Teotihuacán near Mexico City to celebrate the 39th birthday of his wife, Viridiana Becerril. Their 13-year-old daughter survived the incident with a broken bone and burns. The pilot also reportedly suffered severe burns and was allegedly arrested after law enforcement tracked him down to a hospital where he was being given treatment. Harrowing video footage of the fire on April 1 went viral, with officials saying passengers jumped out of the burning basket despite being high in the air. The Federation of Hot Air Balloons of Teotihuacán said the balloon involved in the incident had not been registered with them.