A German pilot of a hot air balloon has died alongside two passengers who were brutally injured after it crashed near the banks of the River Rhine in Germany.

According to report by an initial investigation by local police, the balloon was caught by a flurry of wind as it came into land at about 8pm (1800 GMT) on Sunday near Urbar, south of Koblenz in western Germany where the balloon hit the ground several times, throwing four passengers out of the basket, before being dragged down a hill and getting caught in a tree.

The pilot, who was stuck in the basket, died from his injuries and the two others who got injured are in a serious condition but out of danger, according to police who also said that all the passengers have been flown to local hospitals with over a 100 people assisted in the rescue operation.