19 people have been killed in a hot air balloon crash in Egypt's ancient city of Luxor, 500 kilometers south of Cairo.

A balloon is seen in this file photo taken in Luxor, Egypt, Feb. 20, 2012. Nine tourists from China's Hongkong were killed in a balloon explosion Tuesday morning in Egypt's Luxor governorate, a local health official told Xinhua. [Xinhua]

An Egyptian security official says the balloon carrying 21 people caught fire, which triggered an explosion in its gas canister. It then plunged at least 300 meters from the sky and crashed into a sugar cane field just west of Luxor.

The official said the casualties included Chinese, Japanese, French, and British nationals. He said 3 survivors, who are 2 tourists and one Egyptian, were taken to a local hospital with critical injuries. The official also said foul play has been ruled out.

9 HK tourists in Egypt air balloon crash: HK travel agency

A Hong Kong travel agency said on Tuesday that 9 Hong Kong tourists were in the hot air balloon which crashed in Egyptearlier in the day, killing 19 people.

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