Two Spanish tourists were killed and three others were injured in a hot air balloon accident in the Turkish region of Cappadocia, according to Nevsehir state officials, who blamed the accident on an unexpected increase in winds.
According to consular sources, the identities of the deceased will be: Maria Cristina Paltrones, 62, and Dolores Massana, 64.
The airship took off at around 7:25 am (local time) from the ruins of Zelf in the Avanos region with 30 people on board and had to make an emergency landing at around 8:50 am near the city of Kabak, the governor’s capital. the office said in a statement.
And the authorities, who opened an investigation to clarify what happened, explained that the lives of the three injured tourists, who were taken to several hospitals, are not in danger.
The governor approached the area of the accident, and diplomatic sources consulted by Europe confirmed the transfer of the Spanish consul. These sources indicated that they are still in contact with local authorities to clarify what happened.
Around 2.5 million tourists each year visit Cappadocia, an arid UNESCO heritage area with balloon rides among its tourist attractions. In May 2013, three Brazilians died as a result of a collision between two of these devices, while two other deaths were recorded in 2017 in the same number of accidents, according to the newspaper Hurriyet.
