Two British tourists injured in fatal balloon flight

Two British holidaymakers were among 28 people injured when a hot air balloon crashed during a tourist flight in Slovenia yesterday, killing four of the passengers.

The man and the woman, who is beleived to be one of six to have sustained serious injuries, are thought to have been on holiday when the accident happened.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the hospitalisation of two British nationals."

Eyewitnesses said the the balloon, carrying 32 people, including children, came down in a storm early in the morning.

It was one of two balloons that had departed at 5.30 to catch the sunrise but it crashed into a tree and caught fire as it tried to land.

The accident happened near the village of Ig, about seven miles from the capital Ljubljana.

It is thought the British woman was taken to the Ljubljana Clinical Centre with severe burns and later transfered to the Novo Mesto hospital.

The second balloon landed safely.

In January, a scenic balloon flight from Carterton, New Zealand ended in tragedy when it hit power lines, causing it to catch alight and crash to the ground killing all 11 onboard.

By Linsey McNeill

Friday, August 24, 2012