Milan, June 15 (LaPresse) – Two hot air balloons crashed today in Cappadocia, central Turkey, causing the death of one person and injuring 31 others. Local media report the incident occurred in the Ihlara Valley, in Aksaray province, according to the private news agency Ilhas News Agency and other media outlets. The cause of the accident is not yet clear. According to the Turkish TV channel Ntv Haber, the person who died in the accident was a pilot, and the injured were tourists from Indonesia and India. Hot air balloon rides are a very popular tourist activity in central Turkey, an area dotted with ancient rock-cut churches. Among the tourist attractions are the so-called 'fairy chimneys' of Cappadocia, tall cone-shaped rock formations created by natural erosion over thousands of years and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. A video by Ilhas Agency shows a deflated hot air balloon with the passenger basket lying on its side, while emergency services assisted the injured.
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