Ad balloon burns 4 people

A balloon fell to earth and exploded, burning an old man and his three curious grandchildren in Peixian county of East China's Jiangsu province on February 15.

Her 10-year-old daughter and two nieces, aged 2 and 4, were playing in the yard when a 1-meter red balloon passed them, a woman told the Pengcheng Evening News. When it landed, her father and the three children ran to see.

Two girls suffered serious burns to the head and face, said a doctor at Xuzhou hospital, where they were taken.

The old man had serious burns and is being treated in the county hospital. Qin's daughter suffered lighter injuries and has returned home.

The hydrogen balloon, typical of those tied to the ground during business promotional events, carried advertising for a Bank of China local branch greeting a car retailer in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province. Zhengzhou is 440 kilometers from Peixian.

Both the bank and retailer denied any relationship. A bank spokesman said there was no balloon and the retailer claimed no such event.