The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation has suspended hot air ballooning over the ancient city of Luxor after two tourists were lightly injured during a ride early on Monday, reports say.
The ministry in a statement said a hot air balloon with 28 tourists drifted off course but eventually landed. Two of the tourists were injured but were taken to hospital for treatment.
It is unclear how the injuries occurred but the statement the balloon was at an altitude of 60 meters (197 feet) when it veered off course. Authorities have launched a probe and indicated that ballooning would not resume until completion of the investigation.
Tourists visiting Egypt enjoy hot air ballooning over Luxor, 510 kilometers (320 miles) south of Cairo, as it offers spectacular views of the ancient temples. The Monday incident is one of few accidents that have so far occurred in Egypt with hot air ballooning.
In 2013, a hot air balloon crash near Luxor crashed killing 19 tourists, so far the highest toll. In 2009, 16 tourists were injured when their balloon struck a cell phone transmission tower. In 2018 seven tourists were injured in similar circumstances.