Balloon crashes near Luxor killing 19 tourists

LUXOR: -- British, French, Hong Kong and Japanese nationals are among 19 tourists reportedly killed in a hot air balloon crash near the Egyptian city of Luxor.

The balloon was flying at 1,000 ft (300m) when it caught fire and exploded, plunging onto fields west of Luxor, officials said.

One witness told the BBC people were jumping out of the balloon, "from about the height of a seven-storey building".

Two people, including the balloon's pilot, reportedly survived the crash.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21584413


-- BBC 2013-02-26

That will do wonders for the tourist industry, what's left of it that is with Salafists defacing whatever ancient relics they can. I wouldn't put it past them to have brought the balloon down with a missile coming to think of it, though this is being reported as an accident.

Edited February 26, 201313 yr by Steely Dan

Or a sling shot.

And I thought I had it bad; 3 weeks ago I fell thru a roof - 20' down to a cement floor. Fractured both my wrists and broke the heel bone in one foot. $2,000 poorer, but alive. Tragic for the folks who died in Egypt. very bad for Egypt's tourism image.

very bad for Egypt's tourism image.

It never had one for me.

I can recall the incident at Luxor years back, too.

That will do wonders for the tourist industry, what's left of it that is with Salafists defacing whatever ancient relics they can. I wouldn't put it past them to have brought the balloon down with a missile coming to think of it, though this is being reported as an accident.

Cheery as ever. Seems they had a balloon clip a power line in Luxor a few years back, though that time no one died. Visited Egypt in 1997, just after the mainly Swiss and Japanese tourists were murdered in Luxor. That was a real terrorist incident rather than a wished for one and tourism soon bounced back. Seems that an industry that has been around in Egypt for 5000 years has got some legs...

Edited February 26, 201313 yr by folium

Must've been horrendous; nowhere to run. The pilot survived, though, I see.

So where is the pilot's story at this point? Would not be a nice thought to carry for the rest of his life.

The video of the crash can be found here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/feb/26/egyptian-hot-air-balloon-crash-video

I didn't know you could fit 20 people on those things. The pilot survived, because he jumped from the balloon when it was 3 meters hight. He jumped after he caught fire. Looks like a horrible way to die.

Edited February 27, 201313 yr by submaniac

So the pilot was the first to jump out at 3-meters claiming he was on fire, then another passenger. Then it went to sh*t after that as the balloon went up stranding the remaining passengers before plummeting down. Egyptian courage at its best leaving an unpiloted balloon and passengers to fend for themselves. RIP to all.

The pilot has severe burns on 70% of his body, Can anyone blame him for getting out of the fire? It's sheer panic. He isn't trough it yet, and with the pain he is suffering probably wishing he were dead. Will be scarred badly if he survives, and live with pain forever. The Brit who survived jumped with him. The weight loss caused the balloon to rise agin.

The pilot has severe burns on 70% of his body, Can anyone blame him for getting out of the fire?

Most of his passengers are dead.

There was another ballooning accident in the news a little over a year ago, Carterton about 150km north of Wellington, NZ - thread Hot air balloon crashes in New Zealand, killing 11

Some similarities as I remember the balloon ascended, as it would, after the first people jumped, but in the event there were no survivors.