Dreadful day

I was awoken this morning by the sounds of sirens, I had no idea what time it was, but it was early, I can tell by the light in the room. I drifted back to sleep and was awoken again, the sirens were still going and I thought to myself 'What is happening out there today?' I drifted back to sleep and was awoken again, I got up this time.

The sirens were still going, but seemed distant and not so many as there were earlier. It was only when I turned the pc on and looked at FB that a friend had posted about an accident in Luxor, but gave no details. I asked what had happened, the news took my breath away.

FaceBook and the news websites were going mad, as people awoke and tried to find out more about this heart braking tragedy. The phone began to ring...

At this stage, no one really knew where the balloon had come down, radio and TV were talking of a hotel, the Kings Valley, sugar cane and Qorna. If you know the area, that information conflicts with each other and that was what confused me.
It wasn't until I asked a friend who told me where it had happened. It was in a village called Dabaya, close to the Luxor Bridge (That crosses the River Nile, from East to West) approximately 3/4 kms away.

The media have been contacting people all over Luxor and interviews have already taken place. BBC contacted a friend of mine on his Egyptian number? He is still wondering how they got the number.
I was contacted early on, before I really knew anything and asked where they got my number - Google, it took 20 mins for him to find my number, that's a long time in the media World, as a 'Story' is evolving.

This is just an incredibly sad tragedy, that has an effect on hundreds, if not thousands of people.
Those poor people that lost their lives today, their families, their friends.
The balloon workers, ground crew, office staff and families of all the afore mentioned.
The people that serve breakfast on the motorboats, that carry the people from the East bank, to the West Bank.
The tour buses that carry the tourists to and from the river to the take off point and then after the flight, back to the river.
The sailors that ferry the guests back to the East Bank in their motorboats and the coach drivers that collect them, returning them to their hotels.

Everyone is shocked and deeply saddened. It really is quite unbelievable and seems so unreal. To those that have been affected by the accident today, it is very much reality.

Christmas Day Balloon Flight

I did not have the heart to go searching for a Blip today. But this scene a few hours ago, at Luxor Temple and the square of Abu El Hagag, shows that despite such an event, sadly, life carries on.