Aswat Masriya (Cairo)

Egypt: Balloon Crash in Luxor Kills 18 Tourists, Injures Three

26 February 2013
Photo: OsvaldoROVE/Flickr
Hot air balloon ride in Luxor, Egypt (file photo).

A health ministry source said on Tuesday that 18 people were killed and three were injured in a hot air balloon explosion in Luxor on Tuesday.

A statement by the health ministry said that four Japanese, nine Chinese, two French, one Hungarian and one British tourist died in the mid-air explosion that took place early on Tuesday 300 meters above land.

Two British citizens and one Egyptian were also injured and are currently being treated at a local hospital where they are suffering from burns and fractures.

Luxor Governor Ezzat Saad has ordered hot air balloon companies to suspend trips following the deadly crash, reported the state news agency.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hisham Kandil has ordered an investigation in the accident to avoid similar crashes in the future.

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Egypt: Balloon Trips Cancelled After Crash

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Governor of Luxor Ezzat Saad has suspended all hot air balloon flights after a crash killed several tourists. Read more »