4 Dutch tourists die in hot-air balloon crash in S. China
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Four Dutch tourists -- two couples -- died early Wednesday when a hot-air balloon caught fire and crashed in Guilin, a popular tourist destination in south China.
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Ambulance personnel at the accident scene. |
Five passengers, all from the Netherlands, and two Chinese pilots were aboard when the accident occurred in Maling Township of Lipu County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Former reports said three men and a woman died. Police confirmed Wednesday afternoon that two couples -- two men and two women -- had died.
They were Merts Hendrik, male, 56; Singerling Dingena Johanna, female, 57; Meijvis Johannes Cornelis, male, 59 and Van Dinther Antonia, female, 57, according to police.
They had arrived at Beijing International Airport on Sept. 26 and their visas were valid until Oct. 26, according to the police.
The pilots and a Dutch tourist were injured and have been taken to hospital, an official of the Lipu county government told Xinhua. The Dutch tourist was sent to a hotel Wednesday evening after treatment.
The balloon belonged to the Dongguan Meixiang Aviation Club, based in neighboring Guangdong Province. It received an aviation management qualification in September 2008, a Central-South Bureau official of the Civil Aviation Administration of China told Xinhua.
The pilots lost control of the balloon after it took off from Yangshuo County. It flew over the neighboring Lipu County and caught fire 150 meters above Maling, said an official with the government of Guilin, which administers Yangshuo and Lipu.
The Lipu county government dispatched 400 people to search for the victims after receiving a report at 8:30 a.m. that the balloon had crashed.
Yangshuo is a world-famous scenic spot and hot-air balloon flights are a popular activity, especially among foreign tourists.
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