Wind Speeds Suddenly Change, Two Tourists Died In An Air Ball Accident In Turkey's Cappadocia

JAKARTA - Two Spanish tourists were killed and three injured Tuesday morning, when the hot air balloon they were traveling in landed hard in Cappadocia, Turkey.

The air balloon took off from Avanos District at sunrise, the Governor of Nevsehir Province confirmed.

"During the landing of the balloons carrying 28 passengers and two crew members, two Spanish nationals lost their lives, while three Spaniards were injured," he said in a statement.

"Treatment for those injured is continuing in hospitals in our city and they are not life-threatening," he added.

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

How safe is to ride a hot air balloon? Riding a hot air balloon is one of the most popular tourist activities in the Cappadocia region, where they fly over valleys and volcanic "periogue" formations.

Deaths from travel are very rare. According to one review of the latest data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Turkey, there were 12 in-flight accidents examined between the summers of 2013 and 2017 in the Cappadocia region.

Three people lost their lives in this crash, all of which occurred during the landing phase of the flight.