Hot air balloon crashes in Turkey, killing pilot and injuring tourists
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
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Image: Commons:User:Darwinek.
A hot air balloon crashed in central Turkey on Sunday, killing its pilot and injuring nineteen tourists from Indonesia, according to Turkish media. The governor’s office said in a statement that shifting wind conditions had affected the balloon.
The crash occurred close to the Ihlara Valley, in Aksaray Province, according to the İhlas News Agency. Video from İhlas, cited by the Associated Press, showed the balloon’s basket tipped on its side, with emergency personnel assisting the injured.
Aksaray Governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoglu said the pilot was attempting to make a hard landing when he fell from the basket and his feet became entangled in a rope. He was trapped under the basket and died. This took place close to the Gözlükuyu, Aksaray village in Aksaray Province. The injured were taken to the hospital.
The Associated Press, citing the state-run Anadolu Agency, reported that another tourist balloon made a hard landing the same day, resulting in minor injuries but no fatalities.
Hot air ballooning is a popular tourist activity in central Turkey because of the area's rugged landscape, notably the "fairy chimney" rock formations of the Cappadocia mountains, which have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the Associated Press.
Sources
edit- Associated Press. 1 killed and 19 injured as a hot air balloon crashes in central Turkey — Associated Press, June 15, 2025
- Hot air balloon crashes in Turkey, leaving one person dead and 19 injured — Sky News, June 15, 2025
