Hot air balloon crash in Egypt kills at least 18 foreigners - WLTZ 38 | Columbus Georgia Regional News & Community

LUXOR, Egypt (AP) — An Egyptian security official says at least 18 foreign tourists were killed as their hot air balloon crashed near the famed ancient city of Luxor. The casualties included French, British and other nationals.

The official says there was a fire and an explosion and that the balloon carrying at least 20 people plunged from the sky and crashed into sugar cane fields west of Luxor on Tuesday. Luxor is 320 miles south of Cairo.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media.

It was one of the worst crashes involving tourists in the country already struggling with a decimated tourism industry after the uprising that ousted former leader Hosni Mubarak.