Three tourists die and 22 injured after hot air balloon crash in Turkey

Three Brazilian tourists have been killed after two hot air balloons collided mid-air in Turkey, also injuring 22 people.

The accident occurred in the popular tourist destination of Cappadocia at 6am Turkish local time on Monday morning.

According to the Anadolu Agency, the three tourists killed have been named as Ellem Kohelman, 76, Maria Luisa Gomes, 71, and Mariua Rosas, 65.

The accident happened when one of the balloon's envelope ripped open after colliding with the basket of another balloon mid-air.

Joanne Rowley, an Australian on holiday in Turkey with her husband, told the BBC: "It fell straight down to the ground. It was just horrendous to see.

"You could see that people weren't going to survive. I still feel quite shaken from the experience."

Sightseeing hot air balloon rides have become an extremely popular way for tourists to take in the amazing scenery of Cappadocia, with its "fairy chimney" volcanic cones, and subterranean cities carved out of stone.

According to the Daily Telegraph, a British tourist died in 2009 when two balloons also collided mid-air over Cappadocia.

An investigation has been launched by Turkey's civil aviation agency.

Back in February, three British tourists were among 19 people that died following a balloon crash in Egypt.

According to the Huffington Post, onlookers reported that the balloon exploded into flames before crashing into sugar cane fields as it travelled over the Valley of the Kings near Luxor.

One Briton and the pilot were the only people to survive the crash.

And, back in January 2012, eleven people died in a hot air balloon crash near the town of Carterton in New Zealand.

Police and witnesses reported that the balloon hit a power line and burst into "10-metre flames", according to the BBC.

Nobody on board survived the incident.

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