Posted on 02/26/2013 10:46:49 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
By Martin Robinson, Jill Reilly, Anna Edwards and Christian Gysin
This was the terrifying moment a hot air balloon exploded in a fireball 1,000ft above the Valley Of The Kings In Egypt.
It emerged as the British tourists who were killed in the early morning tragedy were pictured for the first time.
Joe Bampton, 40, and Yvonne Rennie were among 19 tourists killed today during an early morning flight over the ancient ruins of Luxor when their balloon caught fire and exploded after it hit a power line.
British resident Suzanna Gyetvai, 34, the girlfriend of Mr Bampton, also died in the blaze which killed 19 tourists.
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(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I’m sorry but I have difficulty summoning sympathy for anyone choosing to vacation in Egypt these days.
agree.
people helping the Brotherhood deserve
everything bad.
He should be taken up a thousand feet in a balloon, lit on fire, and thrown out.
Geronimo...
He did say a prayer for them, الله أكبر, (Allahu Akbar!)
During the FAA-ordered grounding of aircraft in September of 2001, even hot air balloons were forbidden to take flight.
Back then it seemed ridiculous that terrorists would use a hot air balloon to attack innocents. Now it's not so unbelievable.
Im sorry but I have difficulty summoning sympathy for anyone choosing to vacation in Egypt these days.
I think the fault belongs to governments who are whistling past the graveyard and pretending that Egypt hasnt become another Iran. Theyre doing things like giving Egypt (essentially a terrorist organization, the Muslim Brotherhood) 16 fighter jets and 200 tanks. These governments are saying (see, they are too our friends.) If the governments were acting responsibly theyd forbid travel and commerce with Egypt. But nobody in the government wants to admit they were completely taken in by the Arab Spring. Hence no warnings, hence their citizens travel to become potential hostages or statistics.
Having said that, buried at the bottom of the article was an explanation (which seems improbable, actually) that this was an accident. The fire started in a connecting hose and then it exploded.
My experience with immigrants from other cultures is that they arent as concerned with safety as we are here. It wouldnt take but a few minutes search on youtube.com to come up with some lulus safety issues.
There are certain activities no one should attempt in a third world country. Hot air ballooning is at the top of the list with bungee jumping and skydiving. Hell, you’re not really safe on the ground in those places.
Our best friends, who are very well traveled, spent 48 hours there just before the politics got nuts.
They said it was the filthiest, scariest (even their guide seemed nervous) place they had ever been, and they couldn’t wait to get out.
It's a shame. The birthplace of civilization is now the deathbed of civilization.
Ristaino was a fool for launching. Photos of the balloon before launch clearly show thunderstorms in the area. Clear case of pilot error.
The problem is that the Egyptian/Arab mentality..instead of being grateful to those who still visit..actually use them as the target of their hatred and resentment..
My friends were very impressed with their Egyptian guide.
His rates were reasonable, so they hired him for private tours.
He actually had a degree in tourism. My friends quizzed him (checking answers on the IPhone) and found his knowledge of ancient Egypt to be phenominal.
After being with him for a few hours, they asked him what he thought about the political situation.
H shared that he felt terrified for his family, for his small business, (he had just gone solo as a guide), and that the religous crazies would take over.
Obviously he was right to be afraid.
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