Balloon crash kills 18 in Egypt

A hot air balloon flying over Egypt’s ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field today, killing at least 18 foreign tourists.

The casualties included British, French, Japanese nationals and nine tourists from Hong Kong, a security official said.

Three survivors of the crash – two tourists and one Egyptian – were taken to a local hospital.

The balloon was carrying at least 20 tourists when it caught fire over Luxor, triggering an explosion in its gas canister, before plunging at least 1,000ft (300 metres) from the sky.

It crashed into a sugar cane field outside al-Dhabaa village just west of Luxor, 320 miles (510 kilometres) south of Cairo, said the official.

Bodies of the dead tourists were scattered across the field around the remnants of the balloon. An AP reporter at the crash site counted eight bodies as they were put into body bags and taken away. The security official said all 18 bodies have been recovered.

The official said foul play has been ruled out.

Hot air ballooning, usually at sunrise over the famed Karnak and Luxor temples as well as the Valley of the Kings, is a popular pastime for tourists visiting Luxor.

The site of the accident has seen past crashes. In 2009, 16 tourists were injured when their balloon struck a mobile phone transmission tower. A year earlier, seven tourists were injured in a similar crash.

Egypt’s tourism industry has been decimated since the 18-day uprising in 2011 against leader Hosni Mubarak and the political turmoil that followed and continues to this day.

Luxor’s hotels are currently about 25% full in what is supposed to be the peak of the winter season.