At least 19 people, mostly Asian and European tourists, were killed on Tuesday in one of the deadliest hot air balloon accidents in history as the fun ride ended on a tragic note near the ancient Egyptian temple city of Luxor.
The balloon was at 1,000 ft when it caught fire and exploded, plunging onto sugarcane fields west of Luxor, officials said. The hot air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire mid-air before crashing to the ground, General Mamdough Khaled, director of security for Luxor Governate said in a statement.
Passengers in the balloon included 19 foreign tourists, from Hong Kong, France, Japan and Britain. An Egyptian pilot and another Egyptian were also on board, Luxor province spokesman Badawi al-Masri said.
The balloon was at 1,000 ft when it caught fire and exploded, plunging onto sugarcane fields west of Luxor, officials said. The hot air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire mid-air before crashing to the ground, General Mamdough Khaled, director of security for Luxor Governate said in a statement.
Passengers in the balloon included 19 foreign tourists, from Hong Kong, France, Japan and Britain. An Egyptian pilot and another Egyptian were also on board, Luxor province spokesman Badawi al-Masri said.