The fire detonated a gas canister and the balloon plunged about 300 meters (1, 000 feet) to the ground, crashing in a sugar cane field outside al-Dhabaa village just west of Luxor, a security official said.

NPR: Fiery Balloon Accident Kills 19 Tourists In Egypt

The balloon then quickly gained altitude before the fire caused the gas canister to explode and it fell to the ground in a sugar cane field outside the village of al-Dhabaa, west of Luxor, an Egyptian security official said.

BBC: Egypt balloon crash: Two Britons and UK resident die

An experimental fence is guarding a field of sugar cane, which elephants like as much as alcohol.

ECONOMIST: The battle to conserve India's elephants

Elephant polo, played primarily in countries like India, Nepal and Thailand, follows similar rules as the traditional sport, though the pitch (or field) is a bit smaller, players wield longer mallets made from cane or bamboo and two people ride the elephant: the player and the mahout who steers the animal.

BBC: Polo-playing elephants in Nepal