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Tourist dies in hot air balloon crash in Egypt

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A hot air balloon carrying 20 tourists crashed near the Egyptian city of Luxor Friday, killing one and injuring at least 12 others.
A hot air balloon carrying 20 tourists crashed near the Egyptian city of Luxor Friday, killing one and injuring at least 12 others, officials say.
The balloon took off around sunrise and flew for about 45 minutes before strong winds forced it off course.
The balloon’s pilot lost control over a mountainous area and crash-landed. The pilot was among the injured, officials said.
Earlier in the day, Egypt’s meteorological service had warned of high winds in the area.
South African, Argentine and Spanish tourists were among the passengers on the Sinbad hot air balloon company’s craft.
“The balloon was getting ready to land at 6:30 a.m., when a sudden, strong wind erupted causing a hard landing,” Hany Al-Sayyed, Sinbad’s traffic manager, told CNN .
Sayyed identified the victim as an Australian man of South African descent to CNN.
“His head was hit during the landing. Most of the other injuries are minor, scratches to the torso, and they were taken to the hospital,” he said.
The state-run MENA news agency said three of the wounded were undergoing operations. The rest have been treated, according to Egypt’s health minister.
With News Wire Services

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