A blissful fair celebration turned tragic on Thursday morning in Rajasthan. A hot air balloon operator fell to his death during a trial run at the Khel Sankul ground in Baran. The incident occurred around 7 a.m. on the final day of the Baran Utsav. The event was held to commemorate the 35th foundation day of the district.

Balloon Specialist Dies During Trial

40-year-old Vasudev Khatri from Kota became the victim of the deadly incident. Khatri was a veteran in hot air balloon operations. He had over 20 years of experience in the hot air balloon industry. On the day of the incident he was part of a team preparing for a hot air balloon display.

Eyewitnesses reported that during the balloon’s inflation, Khatri was holding onto one of the ropes beneath the balloon to stabilize it. Soon the show took a deadly turn as the balloon began to rise in the air.

Khatri became entangled with the rope he was holding and was unexpectedly lifted into the air. Moments later, a supporting rope to the balloon snapped mid air. This caused him to fall from an estimated height of nearly 100 feet leading to his death.

Incident Caught on Camera

The whole incident was captured on camera by the locals and has since gone viral on social media. The viral footage shows Khatri being hoisted into the sky before plunging to the ground from over 100 ft.

Emergency responders present on the scene rushed him to Baran district hospital. However, he was declared dead on arrival due to the severity of his injuries. Khatri’s body was sent for a post-mortem examination after his death.

Events Cancelled, Investigation Underway

Following the incident, the District officials and attendees present at the venue were left stunned by the incident. In response, Baran District Collector Rohitash Singh Tomar announced that all remaining festival events had been cancelled. Meanwhile a probe has been launched to determine whether equipment failure or negligence contributed to the fatal mishap.

Police’s statement

The hot air balloon show was one of the main attractions scheduled for the final day of the fair. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Omendra Singh Shekhawat, Khatri was conducting a solo safety trial when the tragic accident occurred. “The mishap occurred during the trial run,” DSP Omendra Singh Shekhawat told the media from the spot.”