An Egyptian fact-finding committee has found faulty machinery to be the cause of a hot air balloon accident that killed 19 people including tourists from Europe and Asia last February.
It issued a report Tuesday that found the cause of the crash, near the southern city of Luxor, was a faulty fuel delivery system which caught fire, and also severely burned the balloon operator. The committee issued recommendations to factories and balloon operators in the country to prevent future accidents.
Hot air ballooning is a popular tourist activity in the southern part of the country, offering views of some of Egypt’s famous ancient monuments.
The accident was one of several that have plagued Egypt’s tourism industry over the past year, including a tourist boat’s sinking on the Nile.
The balloon was carrying 20 tourists — from France, Britain, Belgium, Japan and Hong Kong — and an Egyptian pilot on a flight over Luxor, 510 kilometers (320 miles) south of Cairo, officials said last February. The flights provide spectacular views of the ancient Karnak and Luxor temples and the Valley of the Kings, the burial ground of Tutankhamun and other pharaohs.
Authorities suspended hot air balloon flights following the accident
Washington Post/ Agencies
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