A hot air balloon landed heavily after hitting a tree north of Sydney today, injuring 16 people, officials said.

The balloon was carrying a pilot and 24 passengers when it landed in a field in Hunter Valley shortly after hitting the tree, Professional Ballooning Association of Australia spokesman Damian Crock said.

The health department said 16 passengers were treated at a hospital and at least 12 had been discharged late Friday.

Their injuries included suspected spinal damage and broken bones. None of the injuries was life-threatening, an ambulance official said.

Television reports showed branches strewn on the ground from a eucalyptus tree the balloon stuck and foliage still clinging to its basket after landing.

The circumstances of the landing will be examined by government crash investigators, Mr Crock said.

The balloon's operator, Balloon Safaris, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

In January, four passengers were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries when a Balloon Safaris hot air balloon made a heavy landing in Hunter Valley. </s> SYDNEY (AP) - A hot air balloon landed heavily after hitting a tree north of Sydney on Friday, injuring 11 people, officials said.

The balloon was carrying a pilot and 24 passengers when it landed in a field in Hunter Valley shortly after hitting the tree, Professional Ballooning Association of Australia spokesman Damian Crock said.

Ambulance Inspector Luke Wiseman said 11 of the passengers went to hospitals with injuries including suspected spinal damage and broken bones. None of the injuries was life-threatening, he said.

All the injured had been taken to hospital by car before an ambulance arrived at the crash scene, he said.

The circumstances of the heavy landing would be examined by government crash investigators, Crock said.

The balloon's operator Balloon Safaris did not immediately return The AP's phone call on Friday.

Four passengers were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries in January when a Balloon Safaris hot air balloon made a heavy landing in Hunter Valley. </s> SYDNEY, Australia — A hot air balloon landed heavily north of Sydney on Friday, injuring nine people.

They were taken by ambulance to hospitals for treatment of suspected broken bones and spinal injuries, New South Wales Ambulance said in a statement.

No details of what caused the hard landing were immediately available. </s> 16 hurt as hot air balloon crashes into tree in Australia

16 hurt as hot air balloon crashes into tree in Australia

16 people were injured in the crash

Sixteen people have been injured after a hot air balloon crashed into a tree, leaving some with broken bones and spinal injuries.

The balloon, carrying a pilot and 24 passengers, landed in a field in the Hunter Valley after hitting a eucalyptus tree.

The Health Department said 16 people were treated in hospital, and 12 of those were discharged.

Image: There were 24 passengers on board with the pilot

Police said the patients ranged in age from seven to 38.

Injuries included suspected spinal damage and broken bones, but none were life-threatening, according to an ambulance official.

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Professional Ballooning Association of Australia spokesman Damian Crock said the circumstances of the crash would be investigated.

Image: Police were not called on the nation's emergency number

The balloon was operated by Balloon Safaris. The company has not yet commented.

According to ABC, police said the balloon had been removed by the time they arrived at the scene, and that emergency services had not been called after the crash.

Instead those hurt were reportedly taken to hospital on the company's bus.

Image: The patients were taken to hospital by the company's bus

Inspector Rob Post said he was not aware of any 000 call made.

Michael MacGregor, who was on board with his wife Alex, said it was "down-playing" the incident to call it a "heavy landing".

He said the pilot had told passengers "brace yourself" as they hit the top of a eucalyptus tree.

Image: The patients were taken to hospital by the company's bus

He said: "It was all over pretty quick to really worry about it. It was definitely a crash.

"When we hit the ground everyone was quiet and calm and people started to say they were hurt.

"They had to tilt the basket over for one little girl to get out. There were three little girls on board.

"We are happy to be OK."

Image: People on board started screaming, one passenger said

A early statement from the Hunter Valley Police read: "The balloon crashed about 8.30am today (Friday 30 March 2018) on McDonalds Road, near Broke Road, at Pokolbin.

"Nine people were taken to Cessnock Hospital. Two have since been taken to John Hunter Hospital for further treatment.

"Police from Hunter Valley Police District have commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified." </s> A hot air balloon crash has left nine people injured in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales.

The balloon, operated by Balloon Safaris, came down at about 8am, according to NSW Ambulance.

Nine people were rushed from the scene to Cessnock Hospital with injuries including spinal and broken bones.

Two of the injured were transferred to the John Hunter Hospital for further treatment.

The injuries were 'not life-threatening' and there were 'no fatalities', a NSW Ambulance spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

The balloon came down at the corner of Macdonald Road and Broke Road in Pokolbin.

Balloon Safari director Michael Scaife said the company took three people to hospital as a precautionary measure with 'minor injuries'.

'Everyone climbed out of the balloon with no problems at all,' he said.

Police from Hunter Valley Police District have commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified. </s> As many as nine tourists were injured after a hot air balloon crashed into a gum tree Friday in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. Shockingly enough, emergency services weren't informed by the company. The cops have criticized the company for not informing the authorities about the accident and for removing the balloon from the site of the crash.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the balloon, operated by Balloon Safaris, came down in Pokolbin at about 8 am Friday. Following the accident, nine people were rushed to Cessnock Hospital. None of them had suffered anything massively life-threatening and the injuries ranged from suspected broken bones to spinal injuries.

Two of those injured have been taken to the John Hunter Hospital for specialized treatment. The police were contacted by Cessnock Hospital itself after the nine injured came in by private transport.

By the time the police reached the scene of the accident, the hot air balloon had been removed from the site of the crash. Inspector Rob Post, from Hunter Valley Police, criticized the company's protocol regarding cases of crashes, saying that he expected them to call triple-0.

"I think it would be common sense to make that call if you have injured people on the ground," he said.

He also said: "The balloon was gone by the time police had arrived so it wasn't actually on the scene." When asked whether the balloon should have remained where it had landed post the crash, he said: "Some would argue, yes."

He also added that the police weren't looking to lay any criminal charges against the company for the way they went about the crash, or for the lack of reporting it to emergency authorities.

Incidentally, as a forewarning to the 24 people flying in the particular hot air balloon, the company had just told them to "brace" themselves before the balloon was about to crash.

On board were locals, interstate, as well international tourists, aged between 7 to 38 years, all enjoying the 40-minute sunrise flight when the accident happened.

ABC News also reported that this is the company's second crash this year. Back in January, four people were taken to hospital after one of the balloons had a "rough landing" near Cessnock, which is also in Hunter Valley. </s> Story highlights A hot air balloon with 20 people crashes in Luxor, Egypt

Company identifies deceased as an Australian man

(CNN) A hot air balloon with 20 people crashed Friday in Egypt's ancient city of Luxor, killing at least one person and injuring more than a dozen others, according to Egypt's Civil Aviation Authority and a hot air balloon company.

At least one tourist was killed, according to a statement from the government agency, which referred to the incident as a hard landing.

The Sindbad hot air balloon company, whose craft crashed, identified the deceased as an Australian man.

Strong winds were responsible for the crash, the hot air balloon company said.

"The balloon was getting ready to land at 6:30 a.m., when a sudden, strong wind erupted, causing a hard landing," Hany Al-Sayyed, Sinbad's traffic manager, told CNN.

"The victim is an Australian man of South African descent. His head was hit during the landing. Most of the other injuries are minor, scratches to the torso, and they were taken to the hospital," he said.

Read More </s> Nine injured in hot air balloon crash The West Australian

Nine people suffered serious injuries when a hot air balloon crashed in NSW's Hunter Valley </s> A South African tourist was killed and 12 other people were injured when a hot air balloon crashed near Egypt's ancient city of Luxor on Friday, a health ministry official said.

Sharif Wadie, the assistant health minister in charge of emergency services, told AFP there were no other casualties but did not elaborate on the extent of the passengers' injuries.

Their nationalities were not immediately clear.

Tourists often take early morning hot air balloon rides over the city and the ancient Egyptian temples and relics in neighbouring areas.

One of the main attractions is the Karnak temple, which dates back thousands of years.

The hot air balloons also offer views of the Valley of the Kings, where pharaonic nobility were buried.

Hot air balloon companies in Luxor offer the tours usually starting at sunrise.

The government had previously suspended the rides after two crashes in four years.

In 2009, 13 tourists were injured when their hot air balloon struck a communications mast in Luxor and crashed.

In 2013, a hot air balloon caught fire in mid-flight over Luxor, killing 19 tourists.

A fact-finding committee later found that the accident was probably caused by a gas leak near the burner, sparking a blaze that spread throughout the balloon.

The tourists, from Britain, France, Hong Kong, Hungary and Japan, died when the balloon plummeted to the ground after catching fire.

The pilot and one tourist survived by jumping from the balloon, officials said at the time.

Friday's accident comes as the government tries to woo back tourists following years of unrest that drove them away.

A jihadist insurgency led by the Islamic State group has targeted tourists, including bombing a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from an Egyptian resort in 2015 that killed all 224 people on board.
A hot air balloon hits a tree near Sydney, Australia, wounding 16 people.