46 injured in balloon explosion in Turkey

Hundreds of small decorative balloons filled with hydrogen exploded in flames today before a political rally in Turkey, injuring 46 people.

Dozens of balloons caught fire as people gathered to listen to the pro-Islamic politician Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a meeting of his Justice and Development Party in the southern city of Malatya, local reporters said.

The victims, who suffered burns, were rushed to a provincial hospital.

Hundreds of balloons, about 40cms (more than a foot) in height, were tied together and one apparently exploded while party officials were pumping hydrogen into it. In Turkey, highly flammable hydrogen is often put in balloons instead of helium because it is cheaper.

Erdogan was also in the news earlier this week, when he was ordered on Thursday to stand trial on charges of insulting the military and praising Islamic groups in Afghanistan in a speech he made a decade ago.