News Digest

Hot air balloon ride lands tourists in prison—literally

A hot air balloon carrying two foreign tourists has landed in the middle of a prison in India, sparking a major security alert. Authorities at the Ajmer jail in Rajasthan feared the hot air balloon had come to rescue inmates inside the jail. But by the time the balloon landed in the jail the inmates were already in their barracks. The two tourists, who are from the West Indies, had boarded the hot air balloon at the annual animal fair in Pushkar, a temple town in Rajasthan. The two sisters in their early twenties told reporters they wanted a bird’s eye view of the fair, but then found themselves hovering over the city of Ajmer, and had no idea where they had landed.

The pilot saw Anasager Lake of Ajmer, she tried to control the balloon and saw the ground of police lines to land safely.

Prison inspector Hanuman Vishnoi

The pilot, Dhawal Kedar, had lost control of the balloon due to strong winds and tried landing it in the police area, but instead crossed over into the jail grounds. The tourists and the pilot were questioned for nearly two hours until the authorities were convinced the incident was an accident. All hot air balloon rides have been cancelled over the fair as a result. A case has also been filed against the tour operator for “unlawful entry” into the jail premises and their licences revoked. The two sisters were later seen taking an elephant ride instead.