2 tourists dead after hot air balloon carrying 30 people makes hard landing in Turkey
Two Spanish tourists were killed and three others were injured on Tuesday when a hot air balloon made a hard landing following a sightseeing tour of volcanic rock formations in central Turkey, officials said.
The accident occurred in Turkey's Cappadocia region, in Nevsehir province, where balloons fly above scenic canyons and volcanic cones.
The Nevsehir governor's office said in a statement that the accident was caused by a "sudden increase of wind." Emergency services immediately rushed to the scene of the accident, it said.
There were 28 tourists and two crew members on board the balloon. None of the injured was in life-threatening condition, according to the statement.
The Cappadocia region, some 300 kilometers south of the capital, Ankara, is famed for its "fairy chimney" rock-formations, underground cities and churches carved into mountainsides.
The region attracts millions of tourists each year.
There have been several fatal balloon accidents in recent years.
Three Brazilian tourists died and 22 other people were injured when two hot air balloons collided in 2013.
In 2017, a Danish tourist died when a balloon crash-landed in high winds.
Two months later a French diplomat was killed and several other people were injured when their balloon hit a power line.
More recently, in 2021, five people died after a hot air balloon crashed into power lines in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
AFP contributed to this report.
