A hot air balloon collided with a high-voltage transmission line in the village of Asureti, Tetritskaro municipality, resulting in the deaths of all three people on board - Revaz Uturgauri, the founder and director of Sky Travel, Polish pilot Krzysztof Zapart, and Imedi TV company cameraman Misho Bidzinashvili.
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Armaz Metreveli, the mayor’s representative in Asureti, informed Georgian News that the accident occurred a few hours ago and investigative activities are currently underway.
“The identities of the deceased are not yet known, although they are not locals. Until today, we had not seen an air balloon in Asureti. It came from the direction of Manglisi and collided with a high-voltage mast. Today there is strong wind, and it appears to have been the cause of the collision,” said the mayor's representative.
The hot air balloon departed today from the central square of Poti and was intended to fly to Kakheti. It was a preparatory test flight, after which the balloon pilots planned to set a world record for the longest flight in an air balloon.
The police have initiated an investigation into the incident under Article 275 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to the violation of safety or operational regulations governing railway, water, air, or ropeway transportation.
