Watch Live: Congressional Hearing on IRS Scandal

Live Now on TheBlaze Radio: ‘The Buck Sexton Show’

World

Watch: Chilling Footage of Hot Air Balloon Explosion That Killed 19 Tourists in Egypt

Feb. 26, 2013 6:11pm Jason Howerton

CNN aired terrifying amateur footage of a hot air balloon that reportedly exploded over Egypt on Tuesday, resulting in several deaths and injuries.

The balloon was reportedly carrying foreign tourists on vacation in Egypt. It exploded after a fuel tank caught fire, quickly sending the balloon plummeting to the ground.

Mediaite’s Noah Rothman reports the crash killed 19 Asian and European tourists, making the disaster the deadliest balloon accident in two decades.

USA Today reports that fatal hot air balloon crashes are relatively rare and usually involve bad weather.

Watch the video of the horrific accident (Warning: This video may be disturbing to some viewers):

Here’s the version aired on CNN via Mediaite:

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (51)

MrKnowItAll
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:38pm
My First Thought. SUICIDE BOMBER!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
The Jewish Avenger
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:58pm
What was being repeated on the first video?

Seriously, anyone translate?
Thanks.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- DeathRattle
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:51pm
  JewishAvenger
  
  I had a friend translate… loosley
  
  The man was saying that his friend who was on the burning balloon had just got into all of Obama’s sealed transcripts and was going to the media after they landed.
  
  Report this comment
- halkuon
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:13am
  I could understand one of the men praying in arabic. He was basically saying “oh my God”. I couldn’t make out the rest because my arabic is poor.
  
  Report this comment
- bhosux
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 7:47am
  Here’s what I did not hear. Horror or panic when gravity won. Maybe they should of thrown their shoes and said moohamad g-had 1000 times to save their soles…
  
  Report this comment
- duncan1622
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:49pm
  Very funny translations. Couldn’t stop laughing.
  
  Report this comment
RoAdFiXeR
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:49pm
See what happens when you lite farts in a hot air balloon….

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- ron2win
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:49am
  They had their hands on their heart and were yelling in unison ,I’m coming my 72 elizabeths ,I’m coming !
  
  Report this comment
- pitboss711
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:37pm
  That’s a grand total of 1,368 virgins in one drop, so to speak. I didn’t think there were that many.
  
  Report this comment
GhostDog51
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:42pm
What a tragedy. My prayers go out to their families and loved ones.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Armyduderetired
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:41pm
They flew into the path of a drone that was on its way to back up the ambassador of Nigeria. It wasn’t armed. The jet wash caused a flame-out.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
John 1776
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:31pm
“You could hear the bangs” ?????
What on earth. Couldn’t this woman figure out that she was hearing the burner on the balloon that the person with the camera was in?

CNN! What a joke.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- shogun459
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:34am
  true but concider the source.
  
  Report this comment
- N37BU6
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 2:28am
  The only thing people in this business truly know are their reflections in the makeup mirror.
  
  Report this comment
CFL Tea Party
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:59pm
It was an “assault balloon”!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- redfish52
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 9:17pm
  Say what you want but what a sucky way to check out…just as you think you are about to have one of the most visual time of your life….poof….game over.
  
  Report this comment
TOCOF
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:20pm
We should immediately call for a ban on all hot air ballooning.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
NozzleMan03
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:50pm
I would be not be surprised if this was a sabotage by some radical muslim group to kill foreign tourists.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Proverbs17-12NLT
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:56pm
  If Obama had a balloon it would fly like that.
  
  Report this comment
- jlightning1
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:18pm
  Yeah !! You know that’s where I plan to take my next trip. Egypt !! Yeah thats it.!! Anyone up for that??? We can get there and fly over a million square mile sand pit in a balloon .. Wow Who does that?? After the balloon ride we can go burn some tires in the street. You would think if you were planing a trip like that you might consider that it might not end well…
  
  Report this comment
- TOCOF
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:21pm
  Congress should immediately call for a ban on all hot air ballooning.
  
  Report this comment
uncleherbert
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:39pm
There is no good in Egypt, only evil.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Exrepublisheep
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:01pm
  Except for the Christians there you mean?
  
  Report this comment
Advection
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:31pm
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood government blamed Mubarak (the previous leader) for the lax standards that led to this crash.

Sound familiar?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Daddymac10
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:21pm
I’m surprise to hear people still wanna vacation in Egypt. It’s not a safe place to be…

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- GrayPanther
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:54am
  I went to Egypt in April 2006 just after a terrorist attack on a Red Sea resort of Egypt. There were three levels of security at all the historical sites. Now, you, anyone would be stupid to travel to Egypt period. No doubt a poor farmer became a hot air balloon “pilot” and what can you expect?
  
  Report this comment
FreedomPurveyor
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:17pm
The people talking in the video are not just casually talking, they are praying. Listen carefully. You can also hear women crying in the background.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Marsh626
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:02pm
3rd world safety standards.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Marsh626
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:26am
  PS. What sane Westerner would give their tourism money to the Muslim Brotherhood that wants to enslave or kill them? Good riddance to these treasonous morons.
  
  Report this comment
chips1
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:01pm
When vacationing in Egypt
And enjoying all the sights
Travel by car
Don’t take any flights!

BURME SHAVE

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Cybil
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:35pm
They are not “bangs”. That’s the release of hot air into the balloon from where the video is taken. Stupid CNN host.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Rileydj
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 8:29pm
  That is correct, the bangs are the burner blasts in the balloon video taping. Can’t expect CNN have a reporter with any intelligence…,..,
  
  Report this comment
Eastinfection
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:34pm
what’s up with the casual narration?

“oh look- 19 of our friends blew up”
“well, that’s nothing.. one time i saw 25 of my friends blow up.”
“tsk, tsk, … our friends are always blowing up…”
“Agreed… Hey.. i heard Spring Training has started up for the Mets… they get any good pitching yet?”
“Ajal!”

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:56pm
  My thoughts exactly. You can’t say they were shocked…..this small detail, just show the value of life in that sub-human sub-culture. Some might say I’m exaggerating, but Egyptians are not that used to the war and the carnage as their neighbors are. I mean, the life is more intense in other countries, so even there have been three tough years for them, I think one could assume their passiveness isn’t due to their daily exposure to killings and things like that. I assume this is a small example of their 7th century way of life, and the value of life over there. They HAD to know the guys of the other air balloon….they were working together by God knows how long….so this was something close to them and their daily job…..F animals.
  
  Report this comment
- FreedomPurveyor
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:20pm
  They are praying.
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:49pm
  Freedom,
  
  If you say that, it’s because you can know it, so I believe you. Even though that’s true, I stand with my comment. I think this people are living in an environment full of hate and death. They celebrate death, while we celebrate LIFE. They live immersed in a world full of abuses (Wife, sisters, daughters, sons, animals, dogs, etc), violence, death, etc. They don’t know different from that. That’s their life, their culture, their religion. That’s why, among many other things, your government will never get that people’s hearts after 12 years expending tons of money there (Afghanistan). They will never change their mindset, we can’t blame them but their leaders (Religious, and politic), but we can’t ignore that fact either. That’s why they can be ruthless, and can blow themselves along with a hundred people more. That’s why they can watch their friends die and pray calmly. That’s why they didn’t even yell once while their friends were horribly dying 200 meters away. That’s why they can calmly kill their daughters because they dated some Western boy……again, F animals.
  
  Report this comment
- bhosux
  Posted on February 27, 2013 at 7:52am
  That’s because they are dead beats and spend thier entire life as victims. you know… LIBERALS.
  
  Report this comment
pigsarei
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:34pm
Since the Islamist have taken over and their science prevails, might want to stay out of flying objects over there.

Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky?
Nothing holds them up but (the power of) God.
Verily in this are signs for those who believe. Surah 16:79 Yusuf Ali

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Tri-ox
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:33pm
FOREIGN TOURISTS on vacation IN EGYPT … a recipe for disaster. Seriously, what tourist in their right mind vacations in muslim-terrorist-controlled Egypt? I seriously doubt that this was an accident.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Cybil
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:43pm
  Actually people from other parts of the world do not have the same perspective as Americans toward other countries. For example, a visiting salesman was at our company commenting on the tsunami devastation in Thailand, He said “Who would vacation there?” I told him I was there for a week a few months earlier. He felt like an idiot. Despite what you see on the news, Egypt relies heavily on tourist money. For the most part, they like Americans and are respectful toward foreigners. I have traveled the world on many occasions and found that despite the evil government, the people are basically the same as us. They want peace, they love their children and they honor their heritage. After all, are you folks proud of our government at the moment? I am not but I still bleed red, white and blue. I love our history, our culture and our traditions.
  
  Report this comment
Kaoscontrol
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:32pm
…not unlike what will happen to the US economy soon.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
LeadNotFollow
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:26pm
Hope the balloon pilot wasn’t trying to get 72 virgins, for killing 19 infidels.
What a horrific way to die.
May God comfort the victims’ family members and friends. Rest in peace.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:25pm
Parachutes save lives.
19 people in one hot air balloon?
What sane person wants to vacation in Egypt?
Sad ending.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
MittensKittens
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:24pm
Why would you want to watch this??? Nothing here to see…these are not the droids you’re looking for!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
lid.smoker
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:21pm
Time to cue up some Led Zeppelin 2. Always nice to watch videos of this sort with some classic Led Zeo.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- tommyr
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:33pm
  Hey I just tried it. It really enhances the video.
  
  Report this comment
Gonzo
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 6:18pm
Wow.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.