BRIT SCIENTIST DIES IN BALLOON PLUNGE; Nine hurt after collision 150ft up.Byline: RYAN PARRY; REBECCA EVANS A BRITISH space scientist plunged to his death yesterday in a freak hot-air balloon accident. Dr Kevin Beurle was one of 10 British tourists who boarded the craft to watch the sunrise high above the Cappadocia volcanic region of central Turkey. But just moments after the anchor ropes were released the balloon plummeted 150ft back to earth. Some witnesses suggested the craft had crashed into the basket of another balloon passing above and its fabric had been ripped, causing it to fall. British pilot Mike Miners and eight injured passengers were taken to hospital, many with fractures. A ninth passenger was described as seriously injured with multiple fractures and was transferred to another unit. Nevsehir regional governor Asim Hacimustafaolgu said: "We are still unsure as to the cause of the accident and whether Mr Beurle jumped from the balloon in panic. "The balloon had reached 50 metres before it crashed back to earth. "The police, local prosecutor and authorities are now investigating." Lucky couple Ian and Vivienne Munro from New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. had arrived too late to board the balloon after oversleeping. MISSION Vivienne said: "We arrived just as the balloon was taking off. We started to walk away when we heard the commotion and realised it had crashed. "We were both incredibly lucky not to be on board." Dr Beurle, 53, from Brixton, South London, was on a walking holiday with friend Juliet Boas Bo·as , Franz 1858-1942. German-born American anthropologist who emphasized the systematic analysis of culture and language structures. who was one of the injured. Friends last night described him as an "extraordinary man" who is "much loved" by all who knew him. Astrophysicist Dr Beurle was lead programmer for the Cassini mission - a Nasa robotic spacecraft currently studying Saturn and its moons. Based at the University of London For most practical purposes, ranging from admission of students to negotiating funding from the government, the 19 constituent colleges are treated as individual universities. Within the university federation they are known as Recognised Bodies he had worked as a lecturer and had a BSc in Physics and a PhD in Astronomy. He was also a qualified scuba diving instructor. The balloon trip was organised by UK firm Explore Worldwide with Kapadokya Balloons. Explore managing director Ashley Toft said: "This is a tragic accident and our immediate concerns are with our customers and their next of kin The blood relatives entitled by law to inherit the property of a person who dies without leaving a valid will, although the term is sometimes interpreted to include a relationship existing by reason of marriage. Cross-references Descent and Distribution. . A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "Consular officials are in contact with local authorities and are travelling to the area to provide assistance." Yesterday's tragedy follows an incident in Egypt last month where two British women were injured when their hot air balloon This article is about hot air balloons themselves. For the associated activity, see Hot air ballooning. The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology, dating back to its invention by the Montgolfier brothers in Annonay, crashed touring the ancient city of Luxor. CAPTION(S): CRASSCENE Emergency workers with the balloon basket as an injured tourist is carried aboard a rescue helicopter, right KILLED Astro-physicist Dr Kevin Beurle DRAMATIC Ballooning in Cappadocia |
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