Indefinite ban on Hot Air Balloons in Tanzania's Parks

Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) has indefinitely banned hot air balloon operations in the Serengeti National Park in the aftermath of a deadly mishap. “We have suspended the hot air balloons in [the] Serengeti National Park until further notice, pending for mishap investigation, which is underway,” TANAPA spokesperson, Mr. Pascal Shelutete said in Arusha.

A privately-owned hot air balloon with 10 tourists on board crashed on Wednesday in the Serengeti National park, killing two of them and leaving eight others fighting for their lives on hospital beds. The deceased are Hansek Kurp (62) from Denmark and Mr. Harvey Marlon (64) from the United States of America. The balloon was being manned by two licensed pilots, Mr. Frank Delanton and Mr. Jonas Temba and had a new and fully-stocked, first-aid kit.

"The details of the incident are scanty, although we do know there was a problem of turbulent wind during landing," the firm’s general manager, Ms. Maria Strauss, said in a statement.

The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya offers hot air balloon rides at sunrise as a way to view wildlife from above. Balloon rides in the Serengeti usually start at 5:00 am near Maasai Kopjes. The balloons float in whichever direction the winds take them, the pilots control the altitude.

The name "Serengeti" comes from the Maasai language meaning "endless plains." It is a World Heritage site that attracts about 100,000 tourists annually, mainly from the US, Germany, France, Britain, and Japan.

Read the full article at eTurboNews.comcredit source: http://www.wavuti.com/4/post/2010/10/indefinite-ban-on-hot-air-balloons-in-tanzanias-parks.html#ixzz11SQf4sfL