- A pilot died and 19 tourists were injured in a hot air balloon crash in Turkey on Sunday.
- The balloon encountered sudden wind changes during a difficult landing attempt, leading to the crash.
- The pilot became entangled in the balloon's ropes and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
A pilot was killed and 19 tourists were injured after a hot air balloon crashed in Turkey on Sunday - the same morning, 12 people were injured in a separate crash. According to the People, the first incident took place in the early morning when a balloon carrying 19 Indonesian tourists encountered a sudden change in wind conditions. The pilot attempted a difficult landing, but he fell from the basket and became entangled in the ropes.
"Unfortunately, our pilot got stuck under the basket and died," Aksaray Governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoglu said in a statement, per the outlet. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Later the same day, 12 tourists were also injured after a hot air balloon took off from the same location and experienced a hard landing. All passengers reportedly sustained minor injuries and were treated by emergency responders at the scene.
Hot air ballooning is a popular tourist activity in Turkey. While generally safe, accidents have occurred in the past due to sudden weather changes, hard landings or mid-air collisions.
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Last month, a 40-year-old Mexican man fell to his death from a hot air balloon that caught fire. The incident was captured on camera, showing Luicio N dangling from a rope entangled in the balloon's lines as the basket above him was engulfed in flames.
The incident took place when a hot air balloon caught fire on the ground with Luicio and two other passengers inside. Luicio bravely pulled the passengers from the basket to safety, but as the balloon ascended, he became entangled in its ropes and was lifted into the air. Tragically, he fell to his death. Police recovered his body, and paramedics treated the two passengers for first-degree burns at a nearby hospital.
In another incident, a man in Rajasthan died in April after he allegedly got stuck in a hot air balloon and fell after its rope snapped. The incident took place during an event to mark the 35th anniversary of the foundation day of the Baran district.
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