Tuesday, Jan 17, 2017

Sharjah: A total of 22 tourists, including a child, were on-board a hot-air balloon that went down in Sharjah’s Al Madam desert area on Saturday morning, police said on Tuesday.

The police have referred officials of a Dubai-based company that owned the balloon to the public prosecution.

Five tourists who were injured in the incident were discharged from the hospital on the same day, while a sixth tourist is still receiving treatment and his condition is stated to be stable.

The Sharjah Police operations room received a call around 9.10am on Saturday saying that a hot-air balloon carrying 22 foreign tourists abruptly went down in the desert area.

Police patrols and paramedics were rushed to the scene. The injured were identified as the Dutch pilot and five passengers, including four Chinese women and a German man.

“The balloon’s pilot, who sustained severe injuries, was airlifted to Al Qasimi Hospital in Sharjah, while the five passengers, whose injuries were minor, were taken by the National Ambulance to Al Dhaid Hospital, where they received the necessary treatment and discharged on the same day,” an official statement said on Tuesday.

“Upon inspection of the balloon, it was found out that the pilot landed properly, touching the ground three times before finally settling down. However, the balloon was soon turned on its side and dragged 24 feet away by high wind that swept the area that morning. Initial investigation indicates that during that time, the pilot sustained fourth-degree burns from the balloon’s flame. However, his condition is currently stable.”

The balloon was confiscated and the manager of the company summoned for investigation.

The case has been referred to the public prosecution for further investigation.

Meanwhile, an official at Al Qasimi Hospital told Gulf News that the Dutch pilot, identified as J.H., 41, sustained fractures in his skull and jaw, in addition to serious burns in different part of his body. The pilot is currently in the ICU and he is unconscious.

Ahmad Bin Khadim, director of Al Dhaid Hospital, told Gulf News that the hospital received five people around 10.45am on Saturday, including three Chinese women, a nine-year-old Chinese child and one German man. The hospital staff took X-ray of all of them to make sure of their safety. After they received necessary treatment, they were discharged from the hospital around 1pm.

By Aghaddir Ali Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.