A hot air balloon carrying 20 tourists crashed near Luxor early on Tuesday morning after the fuel supply caught fire, an official told state-run news agency MENA. The official reported that the balloon fell from 300 metres to the ground, killing 18 and injuring three.

The deceased passengers include nine tourists from Hong Kong, two from France, four from Japan, one from the UK, one from Hungary, and one from Egypt. Two British citizens and the pilot were injured.

All hot air balloons, like aeroplanes, must receive licences from the Ministry of Civil Aviation to operate, Minister Wael El Madaoui  said. The balloon involved in the fatal incident was certified as secure and was operating under a licence due to expire next October.