Egypt Balloon Explosion: Three Britons Dead

Two British nationals and a British resident are among 19 people killed when a hot air balloon exploded near the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor.

Another British national survived and was in a Luxor hospital in a stable condition, the Foreign Office said. 

The only other survivor was the pilot, an Egyptian man, who also remained in hospital.

He jumped from the basket when it was 10-15m (yards) from the ground, said Ahmed Aboud, head of an association representing Luxor balloon operators. 

The balloon, which was carrying 20 tourists and the pilot, was preparing to land when a cable got caught around a helium tube and a fire erupted, according to an investigator with the state prosecutor's office.

The site at Luxor 40 minutes before the crash (Pic: @chrismichel)

The balloon then shot up in the air, the investigator said. The fire set off an explosion of a gas canister and the balloon plunged some 1,000 feet (300m) to the ground, according to an Egyptian security official.

It plunged into sugar cane fields as it travelled over Qurna, in Luxor's West Bank.

France's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that two French nationals also died in the crash.

Japanese citizens, as well as nine tourists from Hong Kong, are believed to be among other casualties.

The British resident initially survived the crash, but died later in hospital.

In confirming the "tragic deaths", the Foreign Office said: "The next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them and their families at this difficult time.

"We are providing them with consular assistance. We can also confirm that one other British National was involved and is in a stable condition.

"We have had consular officials in Luxor since early this morning who have been focussed on providing consular assistance and supporting the Egyptian authorities.

"Our ambassador to Egypt has met the injured British national and has offered our assistance."

Luxor Governor Ezzat Saad has imposed an immediate ban on all hot air balloon flights in the province as Prime Minister Hesham Qandeel ordered an investigation into the accident.

Ballooning in Luxor is very popular with tourists visiting its temples

Witness Christopher Michel was travelling in one of several balloons in the air above Luxor early on Tuesday morning.

He told Sky News: "I was in one of about eight balloons that were flying that morning. We were approaching landing ... coming down in a remote field just outside of Luxor.

"We heard a loud explosion behind us, and I looked back and saw lots of smoke. It wasn't immediately clear that it was a balloon. We were surrounded by the balloons that had been flying with us.

"Then we could see the reaction of the pilot on the balloon and he said that this hasn't happened in a long time."

Thomas Cook UK & Continental Europe CEO Peter Fankhauser said: "What happened in Luxor this morning is a terrible tragedy and the thoughts of everyone in Thomas Cook are with our guests, their family and friends.

"We have a very experienced team in (the) resort ... and we're providing our full support to the family and friends of the deceased at this difficult time."

Hot air ballooning is popular with tourists who go to Luxor to visit its ancient temples and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings.

But the activity is not without its dangers. In April 2009, 16 people were hurt - including two British women - when a balloon crashed during a tour of Luxor.

The balloon was believed to have hit a mobile phone transmission tower near the banks of the Nile.

Following the 2009 crash, early morning hot air balloon flights over the Valley of the Kings were suspended for six months while safety measures were tightened up.

During the break, all 42 pilots from the eight companies who operate flights had extra training.

A notice on the Foreign Office website warns tourists: "There were three serious hot air balloon accidents in Luxor in 2009. You should consider the operator's safety arrangements carefully."

Egypt's tourism industry has suffered a sharp downturn in visitor numbers since the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, with two years of political instability scaring off foreign tourists.

Thomas Cook UK has opened a hotline for families who have relatives in Egypt: 0800 107 5638.

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