These photographs were taken at the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Taunggyi, Myanmar.

Every year, around the full moon in November, a competition is held to determine the best flying animals. The balloons are made from thin, hand-painted paper. A sudden gust of wind or poor construction can quickly cause the paper to catch fire, resulting in the balloon crashing — or even developing a hole before it has properly taken off. The zebra in one of the following photographs is an example of such an accident.

The balloons are judged on both their ability to fly and their appearance.

In the evening, hand-painted hot air balloons in the traditional round shape take part in the competition. Instead of a passenger basket, a metal frame is suspended beneath each balloon and loaded with fireworks. If everything goes according to plan, the fireworks are ignited only once the balloon has reached a safe height above the crowd and continues to rise.

However, these balloons also frequently crash. As a spectator, escaping an exploding, falling balloon is not easy, as the audience is packed tightly together in the viewing area.