A hot air balloon exploded and plunged to earth at Egypt's ancient temple city of Luxor during a sunrise flight on Tuesday, killing up to 19 tourists, including Asians and Europeans, sources said.
The balloon carrying 21 people was flying at 300 metres (1,000 feet) when it caught fire, a security official said.
Security services cordoned off the scene of the crash in Luxor's dense sugar cane fields, as police and residents inspected the charred remains of the balloon.
The balloon had been floating over the west bank of Luxor, one of Egypt's most renowned archaeological sites and home to the famous Valley of the Kings and the grand Temple of Hatshepsut, when it exploded.
An Egyptian security official said 19 tourists from Hong Kong, Japan, Britain, France and Hungary had died in the crash.
Luxor Governor Ezzat Saad imposed an immediate ban on all hot air balloon flights in the province as Prime Minister Hesham Qandeel ordered an investigation into the accident.
Two French tourists were confirmed dead, the French foreign ministry said.
"I can confirm that sadly two of our citizens died in this accident," French foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said in Paris. "We are in contact with their families."
A British tour company said that two of its guests had also died in the crash.
"We can confirm that two of our guests are in local hospitals, but tragically two of our guests have died in the hot air balloon incident in Luxor, Egypt this morning," the company said in a statement.
The British Foreign Office would not confirm the death toll, saying only that "we believe a small number of British nationals are involved in an incident in Luxor this morning", and that consular staff were offering assistance.
Nine Hong Kong people and two Japanese were thought to be among the 19 killed.
"We believe that there is a high possibility that nine of our customers have died," said Raymond Ng, general manager of travel agency Kuoni, which organised the Hong Kongers' tour.
The five women and four men were aged between 33 and 62, Ng told a news conference in Hong Kong. Their relatives were to fly to Cairo later on Tuesday via Qatar, accompanied by three staff from Kuoni, he added.
The nine were among a group of 15 Hong Kongers who had left for Egypt on February 22. Ng said that according to local employees, the balloon caught fire about an hour after it had set off, plummeting to the ground two minutes later.
An employee at the company operating the balloon, Sky Cruise, said the pilot and one tourist survived by jumping out of the basket before it hit the ground. Both were taken to hospital.
"This is terrible, just terrible," the employee told AFP by telephone, declining to give her name. "We don't yet know what happened exactly or what went wrong," she said.
French hot air ballon expert Philippe Buron-Pilatre de Rozier said the blast could have been caused by a leak after a spark caused by a lighter or a cigarette.
Another reason could be wear and tear due to poor maintenance or if the pilot is badly positioned, said Buron-Pilatre de Rozier, adding that hot air balloons such as the ones used in Egypt are generally 40 metres (130 feet) high and can carry up to 25 passengers.
The Japanese embassy in Cairo said it was trying to confirm the reports that Japanese nationals died in the accident.
In 2009, 13 foreign tourists were injured when their hot air balloon hit a phone mast and crashed at Luxor. Sources at the time said the balloon was overcrowded.
The crash comes amid widespread anger over safety standards in Egypt following several deadly transport and construction accidents.
AFP
Tue Feb 26 2013
![Hot air balloon flights banned after 19 tourists die Hot air balloon flights banned after 19 tourists die](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-02/81361884354_295x200.jpg)
![Reman suspek kes keropok beracun disambung dua hari Reman suspek kes keropok beracun disambung dua hari](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721107133_keropokberacunrem.jpg)
Reman suspek kes keropok beracun disambung dua hari
Tempoh reman terhadap seorang pemilik kebun disambung selama dua hari, bagi membantu siasatan kematian dua kanak-kanak yang meninggal dunia akibat makan keropok beracun.
![Tidak perlu lagi kemas kini status COVID-19 dalam MySejahtera - KKM Tidak perlu lagi kemas kini status COVID-19 dalam MySejahtera - KKM](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721100784_TBmysj.jpg)
Tidak perlu lagi kemas kini status COVID-19 dalam MySejahtera - KKM
Jika positif COVID-19 melalui ujian kendiri, pesakit boleh mengunjungi klinik dan hospital berdekatan bagi mendapatkan pengesahan.
![Mayat hampir reput dijumpai di rumah usang Mayat hampir reput dijumpai di rumah usang](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-12/41702437730_maut.jpg)
Mayat hampir reput dijumpai di rumah usang
Mayat hampir reput ditemui di sebuah rumah usang di Kesang Laut, berdekatan pusat timbang Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) pada Ahad.
Wanita dakwa dituduh Rafizi fail saman
Seorang wanita memfailkan saman terhadap Menteri Ekonomi, Rafizi Ramli bagi menuntut permohonan maaf secara terbuka berhubung dakwaan bahawa wanita berkenaan ialah isteri kepada bekas menteri yang dikaitkan dengan isu kapal tempur pesisir (LCS).
Bagaimanapun, Rafizi bergantung kepada pembelaan justifikasi berkata bersedia membuktikan kenyataan di mahkamah termasuk perlindungan bersyarat dan ulasan yang saksama terhadap saman fitnah yang difailkan oleh Zainab Mohd Salleh.
Bagaimanapun, Rafizi bergantung kepada pembelaan justifikasi berkata bersedia membuktikan kenyataan di mahkamah termasuk perlindungan bersyarat dan ulasan yang saksama terhadap saman fitnah yang difailkan oleh Zainab Mohd Salleh.
![Ahli Parlimen PN pakai reben putih di lengan tak langgar peraturan - Timbalan Speaker Ahli Parlimen PN pakai reben putih di lengan tak langgar peraturan - Timbalan Speaker](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721011336_PerikatanNasional.jpg)
Ahli Parlimen PN pakai reben putih di lengan tak langgar peraturan - Timbalan Speaker
Jelas Timbalan Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat itu, pendirian tersebut adalah keputusannya dan ia tidak dibuat oleh Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat, Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
![Trump umum Senator JD Vance sebagai calon Naib Presidennya Trump umum Senator JD Vance sebagai calon Naib Presidennya](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721107129_DonaldTrumpJDV.jpg)
Trump umum Senator JD Vance sebagai calon Naib Presidennya
Bekas Presiden Amerika Syarikat Donald Trump mengumumkan Senator Ohio JD Vance akan menjadi calon Naib Presidennya dalam pilihan raya 2024.
AWANI Ringkas: Pan Gon bakal umum letak jawatan hari ini?
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
![iOS 18 tampil ciri kembalikan gambar, video yang hilang atau rosak iOS 18 tampil ciri kembalikan gambar, video yang hilang atau rosak](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721103714_iOS.jpg)
iOS 18 tampil ciri kembalikan gambar, video yang hilang atau rosak
Pada iOS 18, iPadOS 18 dan macOS Sequoia, Apple memperkenalkan ciri baharu yang membolehkan data yang hilang ini dikembalikan.
[TERKINI] Suspek kes pempengaruh Esha mengaku bersalah
Seorang pemandu lori berusia 43 tahun mengaku bersalah membuat kenyataan menyinggung perasaan terhadap mendiang empengaruh media sosial, A Rajeswary atau Esha di TikTok.
Projek HSR Jakarta-Bandung rekod 4 juta penumpang
Projek Kereta Api Laju (HSR) Jakarta-Bandung yang dikenali sebagai Whoosh membawa empat juta penumpang sejak ia beroperasi secara komersial pada 17 Oktober, tahun lalu.
![Langgar belakang lori kontena, pemandu dan kelindan maut Langgar belakang lori kontena, pemandu dan kelindan maut](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2019-10/71570347151_kemalanganlori.jpg)
Langgar belakang lori kontena, pemandu dan kelindan maut
Pemandu dan kelindan lori maut apabila kenderaan yang mereka naiki terlanggar belakang sebuah lori kontena yang rosak di Kilometer 294.4 Lebuhraya Utara Selatan arah utara di Gopeng, pagi Ahad.
![Gopeng Ultra Trail: 170 sertai pencarian Mohammad Ashraf Gopeng Ultra Trail: 170 sertai pencarian Mohammad Ashraf](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2019-03/41553660927_Peserta.jpg)
Gopeng Ultra Trail: 170 sertai pencarian Mohammad Ashraf
Usaha mencari Mohammad Ashraf Hassan, 29, yang hilang ketika menyertai acara larian di Gopeng, Perak diperhebat setelah masuk hari keempat.
![Pelajar Tingkatan Satu dirempuh kereta meninggal dunia Pelajar Tingkatan Satu dirempuh kereta meninggal dunia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-03/71457883398_BudakDirempuh.jpg)
Pelajar Tingkatan Satu dirempuh kereta meninggal dunia
Pelajar tingkatan satu, Muhamad Nur Amier Ishak yang parah dirempuh kereta di susur jejambat Jalan Permatang Batu , Bukit Mertajam disahkan meninggal dunia kira kira jam 4.30 petang Isnin.
![Six killed in Machang accident Six killed in Machang accident](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2015-07/41437145614_ACCIDENTMACHANG.jpg)
Six killed in Machang accident
Six people died while six others sustained multiple injuries in an accident involving two cars at Km 63, Jalan Kuala Krai-Kota Baharu near Kampung Bunut, Machang.
![David Beckham, anak terlibat kemalangan kereta David Beckham, anak terlibat kemalangan kereta](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2014-11/81417342980_295x200.jpg)
David Beckham, anak terlibat kemalangan kereta
Kemalangan berlaku tidak lama selepas Beckham mengambil anaknya Brooklyn dari pusat latihan Arsenal.
![Malaysian students, teachers in bus crash near Perth Malaysian students, teachers in bus crash near Perth](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2014-04/81396407735_295x200.jpg)
Malaysian students, teachers in bus crash near Perth
The crash in Perth Hills involved 13 students and eight adults from Malaysia and Indonesia. Three of them suffered broken limbs.