Denying that two tourists were killed in a hot air balloon accident, the Dubai Police said that no lives were lost in the incident caused on March 23, Sunday.
Viral videos on social media, notably X, showed how a Russian mother and daughter captured their air balloon experience in Dubai before a hard landing. Those sharing the video claimed while the Russian duo survived, two others alongside them were not very lucky.
Many sharing the viral video of the past few days had claimed that the hour-long journey, arranged by a tour operator in Dubai, took 12 individuals on an air balloon voyage. 40 minutes after a delayed take-off, the balloon tilted and had a hard landing, forcing some of the travellers off their seats. The video captured the helpless tourists screaming for help as the basket crashed awkwardly to the side.
However, Dubai Police have reportedly come forward to rule out any casualties in the incident. The balloon had a rough landing due to unfavourable weather conditions but none of the passengers suffered life-threatening injuries. They were swiftly given medical assistance and dismissed, the police department was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times. An official investigation is underway to find out more about the circumstances that led to the accident.
The UAE-based media report also contradicted the claim that 12 people were on board when the accident happened. Quoting a tour operator, KT reported that the balloon took off on the Dubai-Al Ain Road with four tourists in the basket. A sudden change in the weather and strong winds caused the unfortunate incident, the source was quoted as saying.
In a similar incident, the Dubai Police recently had come forward against fake news that claimed a Ukrainian model was kidnapped and held captive for 10 days. The young woman was injured in a fall and was undergoing treatment, the department had clarified.
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