Two Spanish tourists killed in air balloon accident in Turkey’s Cappadocia

ANKARA (Reuters) – Two Spanish tourists were killed and three were injured on Tuesday when the hot air balloon they were travelling in made a hard landing in Turkey’s Cappadocia, the local governor’s office said.

The hot air balloon had taken off from the district of Avanos at sunrise, the governor of Nevsehir province said.

“During the landing of the balloon, which was carrying 28 passengers and two crew members, two Spanish nationals lost their lives, while three Spanish citizens were injured,” he said in a statement.

“The treatment of those injured is continuing in hospitals in our city and they are not life-threatening,” it said.

The statement said the accident was caused by an unexpected increase in wind speed, according to initial assessments.

Hot air balloon rides are one of the most popular activities in the Cappadocia region, where they fly over valleys and volcanic “fairy chimney” formations.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay, Editing by William Maclean)