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Netherlands

Hot air balloon crash kills one

One person has died and five others were injured after a hot air balloon crash-landed late on Wednesday evening in a meadow in Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands, local authorities say.

The balloon was carrying 34 passengers.

"The hot air balloon came down quickly around 9pm and hit the ground hard", Friesland authorities said, adding that the police had launched an investigation into the accident.

A spokesperson for the Royal Netherlands Aeronautical Association said a sudden gust of wind had caused the balloon to strike the ground forcefully, making the basket bounce and leading to five people falling out.