1 killed, 14 wounded in hot air balloon crash in Egypt's Luxor

CAIRO - At least one tourist was killed and 14 others wounded when a hot air balloon crashed near Egypt's ancient city of Luxor on Friday, official news agency MENA reported.

The balloon was carrying around 20 people including travellers from different countries.

A security official in Luxor told Xinhua that a 34-year-old South African male died in the accident, while the injured included five Australians, four French, three from South Africa and two from Argentina.

Two of the wounded are in serious condition, MENA added, noting the wounded were receiving medical treatment at Luxor International Hospital.

The incident, which took place when the balloon was touring the Western Bank of the city, was caused by strong winds and blowing dust that forced the balloon to fall down.

Other balloons had taken off around the same time but landed safely.

Mediterranean and Red Sea Ports were closed across Egypt due to strong winds that caused waves up to three meters.

Meanwhile, Cairo International Airport announced state of emergency due to the dusty winds and poor vision.

Luxor has witnessed hot air balloon accidents in past years.

In 2013, 19 tourists, including nine from Hong Kong of China, were killed when their balloon caught fire.

In 2016, 22 Chinese tourists were injured when their balloon crash landed, after which Egypt temporarily halted balloon rides.