Several Others Injured When Tourist Balloon Goes Down

Two of the 14 people aboard a hot-air balloon in Abu Dhabi were killed when the aircraft experienced higher than normal winds and impacted the ground. The dead are a French national and an Indian national. Their names and genders have not been released.

Several other of the passengers were injured, one severely, in the crash.

The international news service AFP reports that the pilot and 13 passengers lifted off Sunday morning under nearly ideal conditions, but the winds picked up during the flight, and the pilot attempted an emergency landing, according to a statement from Dubai-based Balloon Adventures Emirates (BAE) said, the company that operates the balloon. The statement also indicated that a staff person on the ground was injured when the balloon came down.

UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is investigating the incident. The company has suspended operations for the next few days pending the outcome of the investigation. This is the first accident in the company's five years of operations.

FMI: www.gcaa.ae