Windy weather conditions are suspected to have caused a fatal hot air balloon crash in the UAE, investigators have said.
Saif al Suwaidi, the director general of the General Civil Aviation Authority, said the agency had not ruled out other causes for the crash that killed two people, but told UAE daily The National “we mainly suspect the weather”.
In comments published on Tuesday, he added that he hoped the investigation would conclude with “strong evidence” about the causes of the crash, which happened in the Al Ain desert on Sunday.
The agency continued to collect statements from witnesses on Monday, the paper said.
The families of an Indian man and a Frenchman who died were waiting on Monday for the bodies to be released for repatriation, the paper added.
The accident happened at around 6.45am on Sunday, and involved a hot air balloon operated by Balloon Adventures Emirates, carrying 13 passengers and one crew member.
A Tanzanian crew member remained in intensive care at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain.
