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| Egypt balloon crash kills tourists | Egypt balloon crash kills tourists |
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| Nineteen tourists, including a number of Britons, have been killed in a hot air balloon crash near the Egyptian city of Luxor, officials say. | Nineteen tourists, including a number of Britons, have been killed in a hot air balloon crash near the Egyptian city of Luxor, officials say. |
| The balloon is believed to have caught fire and exploded on Tuesday morning before plunging into a sugar cane field west of Luxor, which is 320 miles (510km) south of the capital, Cairo. | The balloon is believed to have caught fire and exploded on Tuesday morning before plunging into a sugar cane field west of Luxor, which is 320 miles (510km) south of the capital, Cairo. |
| NBC News quoted a health official in Luxor saying the victims included nine people from Hong Kong, four from Japan, two from the UK, two from France and two others who have not been identified. | |
| A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: "We are aware of reports of a balloon crash in Luxor and are making urgent inquiries." | |
| Ahmed Aboud, a representative of eight companies that operate balloon flights in the area, told the Reuters news agency that one tourist and the balloon pilot had survived the accident, which happened after a gas explosion at 300 metres (1,000ft) above the ground. | |
| "There were 20 passengers aboard. An explosion happened and 19 passengers died. One tourist and the pilot survived," he said by telephone. | "There were 20 passengers aboard. An explosion happened and 19 passengers died. One tourist and the pilot survived," he said by telephone. |
| An Associated Press reporter at the crash site said he saw eight bodies being put into body bags and taken away. | An Associated Press reporter at the crash site said he saw eight bodies being put into body bags and taken away. |
| The American photographer Christopher Michel was in another balloon, taking aerial shots, when the crash happened. He told the BBC: "We flew over the ancient ruins. Just before landing in the cornfields, I heard an explosion and saw smoke. I think it was the balloon behind mine. I wasn't sure what had happened at first. It was only when we landed we heard the full extent of what happened." | |
| Konny Matthews, assistant manager of Luxor's Al Moudira hotel, said she heard a "huge bang" several kilometres from the hotel at around 7am (5am GMT). "Some of my employees said that their homes were shaking," she said. | |
| Luxor, which stands on the banks of the river Nile on the site of the ancient city of Thebes, is a major destination for tourists visiting its many remains and monuments. | |
| Balloon trips, usually at sunrise over the Karnak and Luxor temples as well as the Valley of the Kings, are popular with visitors. | Balloon trips, usually at sunrise over the Karnak and Luxor temples as well as the Valley of the Kings, are popular with visitors. |
| In April 2009, 16 people were hurt, including two British women, when a balloon crashed during a tour of Luxor. The balloon was believed to have hit a mobile phone transmission tower near the banks of the Nile. |