A hot air balloon carrying tourists crashes in Turkey: one person died, 31 were injured

On June 15, a tragic incident occurred in central Turkey, shocking the country and the international tourist community. Near the village of Gözlükuyu in Aksaray Province, a hot air balloon carrying tourists crashed. As a result of the incident, the pilot operating the balloon died, and 19 Indonesian and 12 Indian tourists sustained injuries of varying severity.

According to available information, the crash was caused by a sudden change in the direction of strong winds. During landing, the pilot fell out of the balloon basket, and his legs got caught in a rope. As a result, he ended up under the basket and died at the scene from severe injuries.

The injured tourists were taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals. Turkish authorities have announced that an official investigation has begun regarding the incident and that safety measures will be reviewed.

Additionally, according to Anadolu Agency, another hot air balloon made an unstable landing at dawn in the Ihlara Valley on the same day. Twelve Indian tourists in that balloon were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

It should be recalled that a similar tragedy occurred in 2022—two Spanish tourists died as a result of a hard landing of a balloon in Cappadocia. These incidents show that safety requirements for balloon tourism need to be reviewed even more seriously.

In regions such as Cappadocia and the Ihlara Valley, hot air balloon tourism has long become a mass phenomenon in Turkey. Every year, thousands of tourists participate in this activity, dreaming of flying over natural beauty. However, technical malfunctions and insufficient monitoring of weather conditions observed in recent years make safety in this field even more urgent.

Currently, Turkish authorities are conducting an investigation. At the same time, it is expected that new protocols and technical regulations will be introduced to ensure the safety of tourists. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!