A man has plummeted to his death from a hot air balloon in suburban Melbourne.

Emergency services were called to Albert Street in Preston on Monday morning after the discovery of the body of a man who police believe had been riding in the balloon.

A neighbour said his brother could hear a “loud bang” shortly before Emergency Services turned up on the street, Today reports.

“My brother heard like a loud bang, almost like something like a large item falling in your house. And it wasn’t until we heard all the sirens that we came out,” he told Today.

Paramedics responded and police are speaking with other occupants of the balloon and witnesses to determine what happened.

The balloon landed safely at Yarra Bend Park, many kilometres from where the man’s body was found.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Albert Street has been closed in both directions between Wood Street and Murray Road and drivers have been urged to avoid the area.

Emergency landings of hot air balloons are not uncommon in Melbourne.

In April 2022, a hot air balloon on its maiden flight with 13 passengers and a pilot on board was forced to land among buildings in Elwood in Melbourne’s southeast.

Three people suffered minor injuries.

Another two people were injured on New Year’s Eve in 2021 during a hard landing in a field near Lilydale, east of Melbourne, in which the balloon’s basket was dragged 30 metres.

A fuel leak also sparked a fire on a hot air balloon flying over Victoria on Boxing Day in 2018, with one of its 15 passengers cutting their hand after the basket landed in trees.

- Additional reporting by NZ Herald