CNN
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At least twelve people were injured in a hot air balloon crash near an archaeological site near Mexico City on Friday, local authorities said.
The balloon undertook a “forced landing” in San Martin de las Pirámides after hitting an air pocket, according to a statement from the civil protection agency for the state of Mexico.
The twelve people who were aboard are being treated for injuries at a local clinic, the statement said.
Images shared by authorities and geolocated by CNN show that the crash occurred a short distance from the Pyramid of the Moon, a popular tourist site in the ancient city of Teotihuacan. The balloon lay draped over fencing and power lines along Tuxpan Avenue, a two-lane road just over a thousand feet from the base of the pyramid.
The civil protection agency added that the balloon was operated by a tour company that offers hot air balloon rides to view the pyramids from above. When CNN called the number listed on the company’s website, the representative would not comment on the incident.
The Attorney General’s Office for the state of Mexico reported that they are investigating a 29-year-old man whom police detained.
According to the Mexican government, Teotihuacan was once one of the largest cities in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon form the twin centers of the ancient ruins there.
Balloon rides around the pyramids are popular among tourists visiting Mexico, according to a government tourism website.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
