ISTANBUL: A hot air balloon hit a high-voltage transmission line and crashed Sunday near a popular tourist destination in central Turkey, killing a French tourist and injuring 20 other people, Turkish news agencies said.
The state-run Anadolu Agency says several hot air balloons lifted off Sunday in Turkey's Cappadocia region to give tourists a scenic view of the historic site, and one hit the electric line during its descent.
The private Dogan news agency reported that a French man died at the scene. It said adverse winds led to the crash.
Hot air balloon tours were suspended Wednesday due to bad weather and resumed Saturday with the permission of the civil aviation authorities, according to Anadolu.
Most of those injured Sunday were local tourists, Dogan said, and they were taken to three local hospitals. Most received treatment and were released. Gendarme officials told the agency there were no life-threatening injuries.
Cappadocia is a popular tourist destination, known for its volcanic rock-formations, underground cities and churches carved into mountainsides.
The region has seen several hot air balloon accidents recently. A Danish tourist was killed in Cappadocia in February when a hot air balloon made a hard landing, and in March, 49 people were injured when three balloons made hard landings amid strong winds.