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Pilot Dies and 31 Tourists Are Injured After 2 Separate Hot Air Balloon Accidents in the Same Location
A pilot is dead and 19 tourists from Indonesia are injured after a hot air balloon crashed in central Turkey on Sunday, June 15
The same morning, another hot air balloon accident resulted in the injury of 12 people
'Unfortunately, our pilot got stuck under the basket and died,' Aksaray Governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoglu saidA pilot is dead and 19 tourists are injured after a hot air balloon crashed in Turkey, on the same morning that 12 people were injured in a separate crash, according to reports.
On Sunday, June 15, a hot air balloon carrying Indonesian tourists was impacted by a change of wind. The pilot was attempting to make a difficult landing near the village of Gözlükuyu in the Aksaray province when the operator fell out of the basket and his feet became caught in the rope, the Associated Press, London Lifestyle Magazine and Euro News reported.
'Unfortunately, our pilot got stuck under the basket and died,' Aksaray Governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoglu said in a statement, according to the AP.
A video reviewed by the outlet showed the deflated balloon and the basket on its side on the ground as emergency responders cared for the injured passengers. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Local media also reported that 12 tourists were injured that morning after a hot air balloon took off from the same location and experienced a hard landing, according to London Lifestyle Magazine. They were treated for minor injuries.
Central Turkey is a popular tourist destination, especially for hot air balloon rides because of the rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide evidence of Byzantine art and 'fairy chimneys' — the fantastical rock formations in Cappadocia, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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'The density of its rock-hewn cells, churches, troglodyte villages and subterranean cities within the rock formations make it one of the world's most striking and largest cave-dwelling complexes,' the organization said.
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