The Independent - London, August 27th, 2001
A HOT-AIR balloon piloted by one of France's most renowned balloonists exploded during a sightseeing trip, killing all six people on board.
Witnesses, including the pilot's wife, told police that the gondolier caught fire shortly after the balloon took off from the Olympic sports hall in the Alpine resort of Albertville, Savoy, for a scheduled tour.
The dead were Roger Fugier, 64, the first man to fly a balloon across the Pyrenees, and five local people who were taking their first balloon ride as a holiday treat, officials said.
Mr Fugier's wife was following the balloon in her car and aler...
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