The identities of the deceased Dutch tourists have been confirmed, and the survivors have returned to their group. Other members of the tour group have left the country ahead of schedule. The responsible persons have been detained by public security authorities. According to a report from our correspondent, the Guilin city government stated yesterday that the identities of the deceased Dutch tourists have been confirmed as two couples. However, at the request of the Dutch Consulate General in Guangzhou, the names and identities of the Dutch tourists will not be disclosed. The Deputy Consul General of the Netherlands in China and a Chinese assistant have rushed to Yangshuo, arriving on the afternoon of October 14 to handle related matters, investigate the cause of the accident, and coordinate the aftermath for the victims. Consulate staff said that the consulate's top priority is to comfort the victims' families. Meanwhile, the responsible persons related to the accident have been detained by local public security authorities, and relevant first-hand information and evidence have been obtained by local police. The Guilin Propaganda Department stated that it has been confirmed that the tour group came from the Dutch travel agency Djoser International and was a self-guided tour. The domestic ground operator was CYTS Guangzhou International Travel Service Co., Ltd., which was only responsible for booking accommodation and transportation. Zhong Xi'an, General Manager of CYTS Guangzhou International Travel Service Co., Ltd., arrived in Yangshuo on October 14 and arranged for other members of the tour group to leave the country ahead of schedule via a flight from Guilin through Hong Kong on the afternoon of the 15th. It was reported that since the accident, the tour group members have been emotionally stable and their activities have been normal. The group entered China from Beijing on September 26 and visited Xi'an, Chengdu, Lijiang, Dali, and Kunming. They arrived in Guilin by plane at noon on October 12 and checked into the Li River Hotel in Yangshuo that day, with free time in the afternoon. On the morning of October 13, the group rented bicycles to ride along the Yulong River in Yangshuo, and in the afternoon they toured the Li River. At 6 a.m. on October 14, 15 members of the group (including a Dutch guide, 8 men and 7 women) boarded three hot air balloons. The accident occurred on the first balloon to take off. According to the investigation, the hot air balloon ride was an optional activity chosen by the group. Before departure, the Dutch side had made it clear that tourists could choose activities based on their physical condition. On October 13, the tour leader discussed with the tourists about paying extra for a hot air balloon ride to view Yangshuo scenery. After counting the number of participants, the leader contacted the translator, who then contacted Dongguan Meixiang Aviation Club Co., Ltd. to arrange the flight for the morning of October 14. Under the organization of the translator, the specific operator of the hot air balloon sent a special car early in the morning to pick up 14 tourists from the Li River Hotel. They boarded three hot air balloons (two with 5 tourists each, and one with 4 tourists) and took off from Yangshuo at 6:30 a.m., heading towards Lipu. About 50 minutes later, the accident occurred. The burner uses compressed gas with energy many times greater than a typical household gas stove. Hot air balloons typically use propane or liquefied gas as fuel. When ignited, the flame reaches 2-3 meters high and produces a loud noise. The basket is woven from rattan, which provides cushioning upon landing. It contains specialized liquefied gas cylinders for the hot air balloon, as well as flight instruments such as a thermometer, altimeter, and variometer. ● Working Principle: Utilizes the principle of thermal expansion of air. When the air inside the balloon is hot, buoyancy increases, and the balloon rises; when the air temperature inside decreases, buoyancy becomes less than the weight of the balloon and its load, causing the balloon to descend. ● Flight Power: The only power for a hot air balloon is the wind. The best time to fly is just after sunrise or one to two hours before sunset, when the wind is usually calm and the air is stable. Strong winds and fog are not conducive to flight; when flying over high-voltage lines, tall buildings, livestock farms, or villages, a safe altitude must be maintained. ● Flight Duration: A typical hot air balloon carries enough propane or liquefied petroleum gas to fly continuously for about two hours. ● How to Take Off: The takeoff process is cumbersome and requires the joint efforts of several people. First, the envelope is spread out on the ground and connected to the basket placed aside. A small fan is used to blow air into the envelope, causing it to slowly inflate. When fully inflated, the burner is ignited. The flame heats the air inside the envelope, causing the balloon to rise to a vertical position above the basket. After a few more bursts of flame, the balloon takes off. According to a report from our correspondent, the Guilin city government office recently released further investigation results, stating that at the time of the accident, the hot air balloon was carrying 7 people (the pilot, a crew member, and 5 Dutch tourists). According to survivors, when encountering strong winds, the crew decided to descend for landing. When descending to about 2 meters above the ground, the balloon envelope was caught by trees on the hillside, causing the balloon to tilt. Fuel leaked, and the basket slid about 2 meters on the earthen ridge before hitting a higher part of the ridge, causing the basket to catch fire. Immediately, 3 people (the pilot, crew member, and one tourist) were thrown out of the basket, all suffering minor injuries. Due to the sudden reduction in weight by 3 people and the lack of a pilot to control the balloon, it rapidly ascended again. After ascending about 20 meters, another male tourist fell out. The balloon continued to ascend and drifted about 2 kilometers to the mountains of De'an Village, Maling Town, Lipu County, where the remaining 3 tourists fell out of the basket one after another, all four dying. Wu Gongyu, Director of the Balloon Committee of the China Air Sports Association, stated that currently, three bodies manage and regulate hot air balloon activities in China. First, the Civil Aviation Law stipulates that the Civil Aviation Administration reviews the airworthiness of hot air balloons and the qualifications and licenses of pilots. Second, the General Administration of Sport's "Hot Air Balloon Sports Management Measures" mainly manages from the perspective of hot air balloon sports. Third, the State Council's "Basic Rules of Flight in the People's Republic of China" imposes restrictions on the airspace used for hot air balloon flights. According to Xinhua News Agency (reporters Chen Ruihua, Jiang Guibin, Zheng Tianhong), the investigation team for the hot air balloon accident in Yangshuo, Guangxi, preliminarily believes that the accident balloon was flying beyond its permitted range. It is understood that the balloon belonged to Dongguan Meixiang Aviation Club Co., Ltd. Reporters saw a "Guangxi Region Legal Hot Air Balloon Registration Form" stating that Dongguan Meixiang Aviation Club Co., Ltd. is registered in Guangdong and had filed for short-term flight operations in Guangxi. It is understood that the company obtained a permit in Yangshuo in July of this year for aviation sports performance flights and personal entertainment flights. The flight period was from July 10 to December 31 of this year. The flight area was centered on Lianfeng Village, Yangshuo County (N24°46', E110°29'), within a radius of 6 kilometers and below an altitude of 300 meters. However, the straight-line distance and altitude of the accident balloon exceeded the permitted range. The Consul General of the Netherlands in Guangzhou, Fan Jilai, stated on the 15th that he is satisfied with the prompt actions taken by local public security and other relevant departments regarding the accident. He hopes that the local government will quickly determine the cause of the accident and allow the remains of the deceased to return to their homeland as soon as possible. According to a report from our correspondent, the Guilin Propaganda Department stated that the company responsible for the hot air balloon ride for the group was Dongguan Meixiang Aviation Club Co., Ltd., which has three shareholders, with the legal representative being Gao Wenlai. The company came to Yangshuo County in July 2009 to engage in hot air balloon sightseeing activities for tourists. It had obtained business and civil aviation airworthiness procedures in Dongguan, with an operating license number of Civil Aviation Tongqi Zi No. 084, and its business scope includes using hot air balloons for aviation sports training flights, aviation sports performance flights, and personal entertainment flights. On July 6 of this year, the company was approved by the Air Traffic Control Office of the Air Force Command to use 5 hot air balloons for training, performance, and entertainment flights in Yangshuo, Guilin. Relevant departments in Guilin have launched an investigation into the hot air balloon operating company. It is reported that although the company had completed business and civil aviation airworthiness procedures in Dongguan, it had not gone through any relevant procedures in Yangshuo County. According to a report from our correspondent, Wu Gongyu, Director of the Balloon Committee of the China Air Sports Association, stated yesterday that many regulatory mechanisms for domestic hot air balloon tourism projects are not well-established. "Using hot air balloons for ordinary tourist sightseeing is still relatively rare," Wu said. "Therefore, many related mechanisms in China are not well-developed." According to Cheng Peng, General Manager of CAAC Foreign Enterprise Hot Air Balloon Sports Club, in terms of the overall domestic situation, the regions with the most hot air balloon tourism projects are Yangshuo in Guangxi and Tengchong in Yunnan. Yangshuo mainly offers free flights, while Tengchong offers tethered flights (with ropes). Due to its developed tourism industry, higher concentration of tourists, and suitable climate for hot air balloon activities, Yangshuo is the largest and most mature hot air balloon tourism destination in China. In other parts of the country, hot air balloon clubs mainly organize or participate in hot air balloon competitions, conduct commercial promotional activities, and provide services for professionals to pilot or ride hot air balloons. Cheng Peng stated that establishing a hot air balloon club requires business registration, applying for a venue, applying for airspace from air traffic control authorities, and registering as a member with the General Administration of Sport, involving many departments. However, once an accident occurs, there is a lack of a specific regulatory department. "Because the entry threshold for hot air balloon operations is relatively high and operating costs are high, some clubs may have aging balloon facilities that are not replaced," Cheng Peng said. Cheng Peng stated that his club has not yet received a notice from relevant departments to suspend hot air balloon flights. However, he indicated that other hot air balloon sports clubs may be significantly affected. (Zhu Liudi, Chen Ruihua, Jiang Guibin, Zheng Tianhong) [Editor: Ji Xiang] Related News · Hot Air Balloon Incident Update: Dutch Consul Satisfied with Local Government's Timely Rescue Efforts China has implemented a high-temperature subsidy policy for years, but standards in many places have not increased for several years, and the implementation of high-temperature allowances faces difficulties. The information published on this website does not represent the views of China News Service or China News Network. Use of this website's content requires written authorization.
