A tragedy has occurred in the United Arab Emirates: a hot air balloon carrying tourists has crashed during an excursion over the Dubai desert, killing two people. The incident occurred on the morning of April 4 during an hour-long flight organized by the Rayna Tours travel company. There were 12 passengers on board, including two Russian women — a mother and daughter. According to the SHOT PROVERKA Telegram channel, the group set off on a trip at dawn to enjoy the views of the desert from above. The declared maximum altitude of the flight was 1,2 kilometers, but the ascent turned out to be problematic: the balloon could not take off from the ground for a long time, and after takeoff, its movements were unstable, accompanied by sharp jerks.

About 40 minutes after takeoff, the situation got out of control. The balloon tilted sharply and then plummeted. The basket, hitting the ground at high speed, began to tumble, which worsened the consequences. Eyewitnesses report that some of the passengers' safety belts came off and they fell out of the basket while it was still falling. Those remaining on board were covered by the collapsed dome, which led to additional injuries. Rescue services quickly arrived at the scene: the victims were evacuated by ambulances and helicopters. Two foreign citizens - a man and a woman - died from their injuries. Russian tourists, a mother and daughter, survived, but are in serious condition with serious injuries. The remaining passengers were also hospitalized, their condition varies from moderate to critical.

The causes of the crash have not yet been established, but initial assumptions point to technical malfunctions or control errors. Passengers noted unstable behavior of the balloon from the very beginning, which may indicate problems with the equipment or insufficient training of the pilot. Dubai police have launched an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the tragedy. Rayna Tours, a company known for its hot air balloon excursions, has not yet given official comments, but promised to cooperate with the investigation.

The incident is the latest in a series of hot air balloon accidents in the UAE. In March 2025, a similar craft crashed in the emirate of Sharjah, when six tourists were injured due to strong winds. At that time, Al Madama police reported that the balloon fell in the desert, but there were no casualties.