ANKARA - Fifteen foreign tourists were injured when a hot air balloon hard landed in central Turkey on Friday, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

The hot air balloon hit the electric wire between Ortahisar and Uzengi Mustafapasa towns in Cappadocia region of Nevsehir province in central Turkey. The engine of the air balloon caught fire after hard landing, according to the report.

The Chinese embassy in the capital Ankara has confirmed that among the injured foreign tourists were Chinese nationals. The embassy is making contacts with local officials for further information.

The embassy told Xinhua that the injured were rushed to hospitals in Nevsehir, as an investigation into the accident is underway.

Last December, a Chinese tourist was killed and some others injured when a hot air balloon crashed in Cappadocia. In May 2013, local media reported that three Brazilians died when two balloons collided.