Balloon crash kills 2 Spanish tourists in Cappadocia

NEVŞEHİR

Two Spanish tourists died while three others got injured on Oct. 18 as the hot air balloon they boarded in the Cappadocia region made a bumpy landing amid strong winds, the governor’s office has informed.

“The hot air balloon belonging to a private company, which took off from the Zelve ruins site of Avanos district at 7:25 a.m. made a bumpy landing in the Killik region of the Kavak town at 8:50 a.m. due to the unexpected increase in the speed of the wind,” Nevşehir Governor’s Office said in a statement.

“Among the 28 passengers and two crew members in the hot air balloon, two Spanish nationals lost their lives, while three other Spanish nationals were injured.”

The treatment of the three injured continues in various hospitals in the Central Anatolian province, and they are out of danger, according to officials.

The governor’s office said it initiated judicial and administrative investigations regarding the accident.

Preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Cappadocia is a historical region located within the borders of six Central Anatolian provinces. It is known for its fairy chimneys that formed with sedimentary rocks and ignimbrite deposits that erupted from ancient volcanoes some 3 to 9 million years ago.

About 2.5 million tourists visit the Cappadocia region each year, with some of the visitors opting to take balloon flights during their trip.

Three Brazilian tourists died and 22 other people were injured in May 2013 after two hot-air balloons collided in the Cappadocia region.

In April 2017, a balloon accident in the region resulted in the death of France’s deputy consul to Istanbul, Vincent Fabien Christophe Caumontat Touja. The accident occurred due to a fight between a passenger and the pilot, according to one of the survivors.

In February same year, a Danish tourist died after falling off a balloon, while a British tourist was also killed in a balloon crash during a tour of the region in 2009.