In Arizona, a hot air balloon crashed: 4 people died, 1 is in critical condition

A hot air balloon carrying people in a basket crashed in the desert in Eloy, Arizona, on Sunday morning. According to the Eloy Police Department, four people were killed, and one person was seriously injured.

Shortly before the emergency descent, there were 13 people on board the balloon: eight skydivers, four passengers, and the pilot. According to ABC News, all the skydivers jumped from the balloon before any issues arose and landed safely.

The crash claimed the lives of the following passengers: 28-year-old Chayton Wishelek from Union City, Michigan; 28-year-old Kaitlynn Bartom from Andrews, Indiana; 24-year-old Atahan Kilikkot from Cupertino, California, and the pilot, 37-year-old Cornelius Van Der Walt.

Valerie Statterheim, 23, from Scottsdale, Arizona, survived but sustained serious injuries. According to the police, she is in critical condition.

The NTSB stated that the Kubicek BB 85 Z balloon experienced an "unspecified issue with the shell."

"Investigators did not discover any mechanical anomalies with the balloon during their inspection. They also detached the burner from the basket, and everything appears to be intact. Later today, they will inspect the envelope for any irregularities. An electronic device containing potentially relevant flight data and a video camera have been forwarded to NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., for further analysis," the official statement read.

Some witnesses to the crash reported that it appeared as though the balloon had collided with something in the air before rapidly descending.