18 tourists hurt in Turkish hot air balloon accident

ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish medical official says that 18 tourists were hospitalized after a hot air balloon accident in the Cappadocia area of central Turkey.

District medical director Dr. Rahim Unlubay says that none of the tourists is in a critical situation.

Nine have already been released from the hospital and he expects the rest to be released soon.

He confirmed Turkish media reports that there were foreigners among the injured Friday.

Turkish news agency DHA say the hot air balloon went down after being buffeted by winds and hitting an electrical wire.

Anadolu news agency says that 14 of the tourists were Chinese, two were American, one was Brazilian, two were Greeks and one was Turkish.

It is not immediately clear which among them was injured.