Two people remain missing off the coast of Peru following a hot air balloon crash over the weekend. Officials say the balloon went down Sunday in the Pacific Ocean near Canete, a coastal area about 60 miles south of the capital of Lima, with six passengers and one pilot on board. The pilot and all six passengers are Peruvians. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
After an eight hour search, five female passengers were located in the Pacific and rescued by Navy boats and a police helicopter. The women were taken to a naval hospital for treatment. Details on their conditions were not released. The pilot and one male passenger remain missing. Rescuers continued searching overnight for the two men. Officials say helicopters, fishing boats and jet skis are being used in the rescue effort.
"Hopefully we can find them as soon as possible. All we know is that one of them tried to swim to the coast. The search will continue, even at night, until they are rescued,” Interior Minister Wilfredo Pedraza told a local news agency.
Pedraza also said investigators will look in to the cause of the crash. No other details were immediately available.
###
Click here for more World News
