A hot air balloon crashed near Luxor, Egypt this morning. It was reported that the balloon caught fire approximately 300 metres from the ground and crashed into fields below. The balloon operating company, Sky Cruise, reports a gas cylinder had exploded on board.

At least three people are said to have survived the crash by jumping from the balloon, one of them being the pilot. He is currently being treated for burn wounds.

At least 19 people have reportedly been killed.  Among the dead are nine residents Hong Kong, four Japanese nationals, two French nationals and one Hungarian, as well as an Egyptian woman, the Egyptian Health Ministry reported.

Ezzat Saad, Governor of Luxor told BBC Arabic:

He wanted to send his condolences to the families of those killed and injured. We’re determined to investigate what happened exactly and the reasons behind this.

Eyewitnesses recall the event:

Our pilot told us that the balloon had hit a high pressure electrical cable and a cylinder on board exploded.

People were jumping out of the balloon from about the height of a seven-storey building.

Luxor lies on the banks of the River Nile and is home to ancient Egyptian ruins, such as the tomb of Tutankhamen. Officials have now banned the flights of hot air balloons in Luxor, despite efforts to curb the problem when a similar incident happened in 2009. Egypt’s civil aviation minister is being flown to the crash site to head up the investigation.

[Source: BBC News]