Here in Luxor - an ancient town in Upper Egypt famous for its tombs and temples - the site of a deadly hot air balloon crash.<br/> <br />At least 18 people, mostly Asian and European tourists, were killed in the crash after a mid-air gas explosion at about 1,000 feet.<br/> <br />The dead were from Britain, France, Japan and Hong Kong, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported.<br/> <br />A spokesman for balloon operators in the area told Reuters that one tourist and the pilot had survived.<br/> <br />He said the accident was caused by an explosion in the hose between the balloon's burner and its gas canister.<br/> <br />Hot air ballooning at dawn is a popular draw for tourists - a mainstay of the Egyptian economy.<br/> <br />But a series of accidents over the past decade has raised serious questions about the safety of the flights here above the River Nile.
