A HOT air balloon fell in the popular tourist region of Cappadocia in Turkey yesterday, killing a Chinese tourist and injuring nine other passengers, the region’s governor said.

    Chinese and Malaysian nationals were on board when a sudden gust of wind caused the balloon to fall heavily to earth as it was trying to land.

    Governor Mehmet Ceylan said a sudden change of wind direction appeared to have caused the balloon, which took off from Goreme, to make a rough landing.

    The exact cause of the accident was under investigation, he added.

    The injured tourists were hospitalized but were not in life-threatening conditions, he said.

    Cappadocia, in central Turkey, is famous for its geological features called fairy chimneys, and balloon rides are a popular way to see the cone-like formations.

    However, fatal accidents occur occasionally.

    In May 2013, local media reported that three Brazilians died when two balloons collided, and a British tourist was reported to have died in a crash in 2009.

    (SD-Agencies)