Balloon basket kills 86-year-old spectator in Salen-Reutenen

An 86-year-old German man was killed when he was struck by the basket of a hot-air balloon during its launch in Salen-Reutenen, SRF reported.

The accident happened at about 5.45pm on Thursday in a meadow in the Oberi Speck area. The man was watching the launch and died at the scene from his injuries.

The cause of the accident remains unknown. The Thurgau cantonal police forensic service secured evidence at the scene, while specialists from the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board were called in to help determine what happened.

The Kreuzlingen public prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation, which will be continued by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.