A hot air balloon with foreign tourists sightseeing over the southern city of Luxor crash landed Friday, killing a tourist from South Africa and injuring seven others, Egyptian officials said.
No details were immediately available on the nationalities of the other victims. The remaining 12 tourists were unhurt.
The officials said the incident was caused by strong winds that forced the balloon, which was carrying 20 tourists, off its course above the ancient city, home to some of Egypt’s most remarkable pharaonic temples and tombs.
The balloon took off shortly before sunrise and flew about 45 minutes at an altitude of 450 meters (1,476 feet) before the pilot lost control because of strong wind that forced a crash landing in a mountainous area, the officials said.
Other balloons had taken off around the same time but landed safely, the officials added, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Egypt’s meteorological service had warned of strong winds across the country mainly in the Nile River delta and northern Egypt.
Hot air balloon incidents have occurred in the past over ancient Luxor. The deadliest took place in 2013 when a balloon flying over the city caught fire and plunged about 305 meters (1,000 feet) to the ground, crashing into a sugar cane field and killing at least 19 foreign tourists.
In 2016, Egypt temporarily halted balloon flights after 22 Chinese tourists suffered minor injuries in a crash landing of their hot air balloon.
Over the years, Egypt has tightened safety rules for balloon rides, which are now monitored by cameras and banned from flying above 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).
Hot air balloon flights above Luxor are famous among tourists for the spectacular views of the ancient Karnak and the temples of Luxor. Such flights usually start before sunrise and pass over green fields leading to the Valley of the Kings — the burial site of famous boy king Tutankhamun and other pharaohs.
…