The Egyptian tourist destination Luxor (known as 乐蜀 in Hong Kong) witnessed a hot air balloon explosion on the 26th, involving 9 Hong Kong tourists. A spokesperson from the Hong Kong Immigration Department stated that the SAR government is highly concerned about the incident and will dispatch 3 staff members to depart for Luxor at midnight on the 26th to provide assistance.
The travel agency involved, Sightseeing Tours, held a press conference that afternoon. General Manager Ng Tao-wing said that there were 21 people on the ill-fated hot air balloon, 19 of whom have died. The survivors are the hot air balloon pilot and one foreign tourist, so it is believed that the 9 Hong Kong tourists most likely perished. The ages of the 9 tourists ranged from 33 to 62, including 4 men and 5 women, from 3 different families.
The tour group involved departed on February 22, consisting of 15 travelers plus 1 tour leader. The 26th was the fifth day of the itinerary, and 9 group members participated in a self-paid hot air balloon activity. Around 7 a.m. local time, the hot air balloon caught fire and had an accident just two minutes after takeoff.
Ng Tao-wing stated that the travel agency has had a five-year partnership with the hot air balloon company and believes this was purely an accident. The travel agency has already contacted the families of the 9 Hong Kong tourists and dispatched staff to fly to Egypt with the families at midnight on the 26th. The other 6 members of the same group who did not participate in the hot air balloon activity will be consulted by the travel agency on whether they wish to continue the trip or return to Hong Kong. Regarding compensation, all 9 tourists involved in the accident had purchased travel insurance.
According to foreign media reports, hot air balloon tours are very popular in Luxor, allowing tourists to enjoy views of the Nile River and ancient monuments. The hot air balloon involved in the accident caught fire and made an explosion sound shortly after takeoff, then fell from a height of 300 meters.