Two hot air balloons with tourists plummet to the ground in Turkey, with at least one dead
Two hot air balloons filled with tourists have crashed to the ground, leaving at least a dozen injured and one dead.
The tourists were visiting the country’s world famous Cappadocia region, known for its colourful hot air balloon displays.
However the two balloons made crash landings on Sunday morning.
Video from the site of one crash shows a deflated hot air balloon strewn over the ground and a basket overturned.
Both hot air balloons came down from mid air after launching from the scenic Ihlara Valley.
One was carrying Indonesian tourists and set off at 5am local time (3am GMT).
Two hours later, it made a hard landing near the village of Karataş, with the pilot dying in the crash.
According to the local province’s governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoğlu, at least 12 passengers were injured in the crash, which was caused by a ‘sudden change in wind’.
The other hot air balloon reportedly crash landed near Belisırma village in Güzelyurt district.
It is believed as many as 12 tourists were slightly injured in the separate incident, the country’s state broadcaster TRT reported.
The Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure said they would be conducting an investigation of the fatal accident.
They added: ‘Unfortunately, the pilot of the balloon lost his life as a result of the hard landing.
‘It was understood that the meteorological conditions were suitable for flight at the time of take-off, but the decision to land was made due to unexpected winds in the region.’
The Cappadocia region attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year from all over the world.
It is home to unique rock formations, dubbed ‘fairy chimneys’, formed from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.
The area is also famous for its iconic skyline, busy with colourful balloons.
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