More than a Dozen Killed in Hot Air Balloon Crash in Egypt - East Idaho News
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More than a Dozen Killed in Hot Air Balloon Crash in Egypt

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GETTY 22613 HotAirBalloonEgypt?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1361878626321STR/AFP/Getty Images(CAIRO) — More than a dozen tourists are dead after a hot air balloon caught fire and crashed in Luxor, Egypt on Tuesday.

The balloon is said to have been about 1,000 feet in the air when the explosion occurred.

“I heard a loud explosion and then I saw some smoke,” said Christopher Michel, who was on another balloon in the area when the accident happened.

Cherry Tohamy, who was on a balloon owned by the same company, said she heard a “very strong explosion” and “saw the fire coming out from the land somewhere.  It was like one kilometer or one and a half kilometers away from us.”

Three people were also injured in Tuesday’s crash.  None of the victims are American, the U.S. embassy in Cairo confirmed.

According to the BBC, the balloon’s operating company said the crash was caused by a gas cylinder that exploded on board.

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