Chinese tourist dies in balloon fall in Cappadocia, Turkey

A Chinese tourist has died after falling from a hot-air balloon in Turkey when a strong gust of wind caught the craft as it came in to land yesterday.

The Chinese national, who was named in local media as Tang Yi, was taking photographs in the sightseeing area of Cappadocia in central Turkey. He was reportedly standing up as the craft lurched in the high wind.

"Normally the pilot tells everybody to sit down. This person hadn't sat down, and was taking photographs and fell out of the basket," Murat Ned, a manager of Hot Air Balloon Cappadocia - a separate tour operator that was not involved in the accident - told the Post. The balloon then landed on the man, Ned said.

On take-off, pilots brief passengers to sit down as balloons come in to land to ensure their safety, added Ned, whose friend had been at the scene, helping the balloon to land.

Nine other tourists were hurt by the balloon's sudden landing, Reuters reported, including a Malaysian tourist who was said to be in a serious condition.

The others, reportedly a mixture of Chinese and Malaysian nationals, received hospital treatment for broken bones.

The company that runs the tours operates balloons which can carry up to 20 people at a time, said Ned, whose company was also flying at the time and did not experience any issues with the weather.