Worst ballooning disaster
- Who
- Egypt
- What
- 19 people
- Where
- Egypt (Luxor,)
- When
- 26 February 2013
The greatest loss of life to have resulted from a hot-air balloon accident occurred on 26 February 2013, when a balloon caught fire in the skies over Luxor, Egypt, plummeting 1,000 ft (305 m) to the ground and resulting in 19 fatalities.
The balloon is believed to have caught fire as it was coming in to land. The pilot and a British passenger jumped out, before the balloon ascended swiftly. Flames spread quickly and ignited a gas canister, which exploded. The balloon crashed into a field west of Luxor, which is 320 miles (510km) south of the capital, Cairo.