Hot air balloon crash kills 19 tourists

A victim of a ballon accident is seen in a body bag lying on a dirt road near the scene of a crash outside al-Dhabaa village just west of the city of Luxor, 510 kilometers south of Cairo, Egypt.

A victim of a ballon accident is seen in a body bag lying on a dirt road near the scene of a crash outside al-Dhabaa village just west of the city of Luxor, 510 kilometers south of Cairo, Egypt.

Published Feb 26, 2013

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Cairo - A hot air balloon exploded as it was flying over Egypt's ancient temple city of Luxor on Tuesday, killing 19 people including tourists from Hong Kong, Japan, France and Britain, a security official said.

“Nineteen people died,” the official told AFP.

The balloon which was carrying 21 people was flying at 300 metres over Qurna, in Luxor's West Bank, when it caught fire before exploding, the official said.

The two survivors, including the balloon's pilot, have been taken to hospital, he said. - AFP

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