Latest news with #MehmetAliKumbuzoğlu
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Tragic final moments of hot air balloon pilot who 'got stuck' in horror plunge
A pilot has tragically lost his life in one of two hot air balloon catastrophes that unfolded yesterday, near Central Turkey's breathtaking Ihara Valley What should have been a joyful holiday experience descended into tragedy on Sunday after two hot air balloons crashed in separate incidents, leaving one pilot dead. Year after year, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to Turkey for ballooning season, which reaches its peak between the months of June and August. These two incidents occurred near the Ihara Valley in Central Turkey, where the breathtaking natural landscape makes for spectacular views from the sky. The rugged "fairy chimney" rock formations of Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage site caused by centuries of unusual erosion, are a particular draw for adventurous tourists. According to local media reports, both balloons took off during suitable weather conditions; however, they were forced to make a sudden touchdown due to unexpected changes in the wind. It was then that catastrophe struck. READ MORE: Turkey balloon ride crash leaves one dead and 31 injured in holiday hotspot In one of the incidents, 19 Indonesian tourists were injured, while the pilot, who has not been named, sadly died after falling out of the basket, with his feet getting tangled in the rope. In an update, Aksaray Governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoğlu told members of the public: "Unfortunately, our pilot got stuck under the basket and died. Our tourists are in good condition. We took them to the hospital by ambulance. They are being examined." According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, another hot air balloon that launched in the Guzelyurt area of the region also ran into disaster after making a hard landing early Sunday morning, with 12 Indian tourists left "slightly wounded". All those injured were taken to the hospital for treatment. In the aftermath of this tragedy, local authorities have launched an investigation, while tour operators have been advised to review their safety protocols. Footage from Ilhas News Agency shows one deflated balloon, with its passenger basket lying on its side, while emergency services tended to the injured. The Turkey's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has stated that it will now be carrying out an investigation. The government body advised: "Unfortunately, the pilot of the balloon lost his life as a result of the hard landing. It was understood that the meteorological conditions were suitable for flight at the time of take-off, but the decision to land was made due to unexpected winds in the region." Unfortunately, these aren't the first fatal hot air balloon crashes to happen in Turkey in recent years. Back in 2022, two Spanish tourists died after a hot air balloon made a particularly rocky landing, following a sightseeing tour of Cappadocia's geological wonders.
Euronews
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Hot air balloon accidents in Turkey: 1 dead, 31 injured
In Aksaray, two hot air balloons which took off from Ihlara Valley for touristic flights on Sunday crashed near Gözlukuyu village. It was reported that one pilot lost his life and 19 Indonesian tourists were injured in the accident. Aksaray Governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoğlu stated that the pilot fell out of the basket due to his feet getting tangled up in the rope and said, "Unfortunately, our pilot lost his life by being trapped under the basket. Our tourists are in good condition, we took them to hospital by ambulances, their examinations are continuing." In the apparently unrelated other accident, it was reported that the hot air balloon made a hard landing near Belisırma village of Güzelyurt district. 12 tourists from India were slightly injured and were transferred to hospital. US President Donald Trump has predicted that the warring nations "will make a deal" on his social media platform on Sunday, as "many calls and meetings [are] now taking place". He also claimed successful mediation efforts in the past, most recently between India and Pakistan, after hostilities between the nuclear-armed rivals escalated last month. Trump wrote: "Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP! Also, during my first term, Serbia and Kosovo were going at it hot and heavy, as they have for many decades, and this long time conflict was ready to break out into WAR. I stopped it (Biden has hurt the longer term prospects with some very stupid decisions, but I will fix it, again!). Another case is Egypt and Ethiopia, and their fight over a massive dam that is having an effect on the magnificent Nile River. There is peace, at least for now, because of my intervention, and it will stay that way! Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that's OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!" Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran would "pay a very heavy price" for the civilian casualties caused during last night's aerial attacks by Iran. Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian, for his part, anounced a 'harsher and more severe' response in case Israeli attacks continued. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides had told reporters on Sunday morning he would "deliver a message" from Iran upon Tehran's request to Benjamin Netanyahu when he spoke to him on the phone later. The request was then denied by the Iranian government, to the consternation of Cypriot officials.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Turkey hot air balloon crash leaves one dead and 31 injured
More than a dozen people were left injured after two balloons crashed near the Ihlara Valley in Turkey's Aksaray province, with the cause of the collision currently unknown. A packed holiday hotspot has spiralled into chaos this morning after one person died and another 31 were injured two separate hot air balloon crashes. Emergency services have rushed to the scene of the crash on June 15, where a deflated hot air balloon can be seen lying on its side. A picture posted from the scene on X, formerly Twitter, shows one of the deflated hot air balloons lying on the ground, reports the Mirror. The total number of injuries reportedly stands at 31, according to local media outlets, with 19 Indonesian tourists hurt in the accident. Authorities have not confirmed the nationalities of the remaining 11 injured. A video posted online by local media shows emergency services at the scene of the crash. Updating the public, Aksaray Governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoğlu has said the pilot died in today's accident after his feet became tangled in the hot air balloon's rope. He said: "Unfortunately, our pilot got stuck under the basket and died. Our tourists are in good condition. We took them to the hospital by ambulance. They are being examined." The remaining 12 people injured in the crash, were all Indian tourists who were aboard a second hot air balloon in the Güzelyurt area. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. They were "slightly" injured and taken to hospital following the accident. Local media outlets are now reporting that the balloons took off during suitable weather conditions, but were forced to touch down suddenly due to unexpected wind.
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Two hot air balloons with tourists plummet to the ground, with at least one dead
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Two hot air balloons filled with tourists have crashed to the ground, leaving at least a dozen injured and one dead. The tourists were visiting the country's world famous Cappadocia region, known for its colourful hot air balloon displays. However the two balloons made crash landings on Sunday morning. Video from the site of one crash shows a deflated hot air balloon strewn over the ground and a basket overturned. Both hot air balloons came down from mid air after launching from the scenic Ihlara Valley. One was carrying Indonesian tourists and set off at 5am local time (3am GMT). Two hours later, it made a hard landing near the village of Karataş, with the pilot dying in the crash. According to the local province's governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoğlu, at least 12 passengers were injured in the crash, which was caused by a 'sudden change in wind'. The other hot air balloon reportedly crash landed near Belisırma village in Güzelyurt district. It is believed as many as 12 tourists were slightly injured in the separate incident, the country's state broadcaster TRT reported. The Turkey's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure said they would be conducting an investigation of the fatal accident. They added: 'Unfortunately, the pilot of the balloon lost his life as a result of the hard landing. More Trending 'It was understood that the meteorological conditions were suitable for flight at the time of take-off, but the decision to land was made due to unexpected winds in the region.' The Cappadocia region attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year from all over the world. It is home to unique rock formations, dubbed 'fairy chimneys', formed from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The area is also famous for its iconic skyline, busy with colourful balloons. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Turkey reveals 'cause of death' of Beth Martin who had 'heart removed' on holiday MORE: Easyjet launches 11 new flights from major UK airport to Greece, Spain, Portugal and more MORE: British dad says he 'almost died' after holiday in four-star Turkish hotel
