Egypt balloon pilots defend colleague in crash

Luxor (Egypt): Hot air balloon pilots in Egypt`s city of Luxor are defending their colleague who survived this week`s fatal crash that killed 19 tourists.

Tuesday`s crash was one of the world`s deadliest ballooning accidents. Initial reports say the balloon was in the process of landing when a cable got caught around a gas tube and a fire erupted. Pilots who know the Egyptian pilot, Momin Murad, say he has an eight-year track record of flying balloons without incident. The pilot, who sustained severe burns, and a British tourist were the only survivors. In a press conference in Luxor on Saturday, the pilots also defended Egypt`s safety measures for the popular touristic activity, saying the company that operated the balloon that crashed had cancelled trips the day before due to bad weather. PTI