British woman killed in hot air balloon crash

Mother-of-two Susan Astle suffers serious head injuries after balloon crash-lands in high winds

The balloon was reported to have crashed into rocks and a tree, seriously injuring three passengers (Hartbeespoort Emergency Rescue Unit)

A British woman has been killed in a hot air balloon crash in South Africa after a “freak” change in weather conditions.

Susan Astle, a 48-year-old mother of two, was thrown from the basket of the balloon as it passed over a mountain in Mooinooi, 80 miles from capital Johannesburg.

The crash landing in a field reportedly saw the balloon bounce along the ground and hit a tree, leaving her with serious head injuries.

Ms Astle is reported to have been on a half-term holiday with her husband, John, and their two sons when the accident occurred. She was rushed to hospital in a critical condition but later died from her injuries.

Two of the other people 14 people on board – a four-year-old girl and her mother – suffered internal and spinal injuries in the accident. They are being treated in hospital in Johannesburg, where the child was reported to be in a serious condition.

The British owner of the company that organised the trip, Bill Harrop, told Sky News the balloon was forced to land after it got into trouble in high winds.

He said: "The winds were between four and six times what was forecast, they were sustained winds too.

"It seems to have been a whole change in the weather system…it was a freak turn of events."

The winds reached speeds of up to 30 knots – six times more than was forecast, he added.

Mr Harrop said: “It had to make a fast landing because of the gusting winds [and] got dragged across the field.

"And only because it got dragged beyond the perimeter of the field, it then hit some rocks and bushes and things which then capsized the basket."

He said the balloon’s pilot and other staff at the company were being given counselling.

Another passenger on the balloon said she was “holding on for dear life”.

Olivia Denny, 70, said: “We wanted to land in an open veld, but when we were about to land, the wind just swept us away."

“It felt like driving backwards in a car at 40 kilometres an hour.”

"The wind dragged us through the bushes and rocks before we eventually landed between two trees. We had to hold on for dear life."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are supporting the family of a British national who sadly died in South Africa on 25 October."