Egyptian balloon-crash pilot Moman Mourad faces jail after being arrested

The pilot of the hot-air balloon that crashed in Egypt in February killing 19 people - nine of them Hongkongers - has been arrested and ordered to prison pending the outcome of an investigation, balloon operators say.

But the hospital where Moman Mourad is recovering under police guard, say he is still too ill to be moved.

Meanwhile, aviation staff have gone on strike in protest at the arrest of balloon airport supervisor Mohamed al-Taher, who is also in custody while the investigation continues.

The balloon, carrying 20 tourists and a pilot, caught fire and exploded after a failed landing in Luxor. The pilot and a British tourist were the only survivors.

Mohamed Youssef, a fellow pilot and friend of Mourad, told the South China Morning Post yesterday that the pilot had been taken to court.

"The court accused him of carelessness … but the hospital said he can't go to jail in his condition," Youssef said, adding that his friend would need six months to a year to recover.

Alla Mahmoud, sales director of Magic Horizon Balloons in Luxor, said Mourad "is under arrest - he is supposed to be in prison until they find out [the results]".