At least 19 have been reported killed after the hot air balloon they were riding crashed near Luxor, one of Egypt's top tourist destinations, according to a report from a security official.
The Associated Press reports the balloon caught fire as it flew over the ancient city of Luxor, then fell and crashed into a sugar cane field outside al-Dhabaa village. The village is about 320 miles south of Cairo.
No Americans are believed to have been involved, USA Today reports. Passengers came from Hong Kong, Japan, Belgium, Britain, France and Hungary, AP reported.
Initially, AP reported that 18 had died. Two Britons and the Egyptian pilot were taken to the hospital, but one of the Britons died of his injuries soon after. The other Briton and the Egyptian, who state media said suffered severe burns, were flown to Cairo for further treatment, AP reported.
The crash is currently under investigation. AP said bodies of the tourists were strewn all over the sugar cane field.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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