As many as 19 tourists was killed in a hot air balloon crash near the southern Egyptian city of Luxor.
British, French and Japanese nationals are all believed to were killed within the incident, with two survivors rescued.
The hot air balloon was flying at 300 metres when it caught fire and exploded, eyewitnesses reported.
Luxor has long been well liked by tourists.
The site is home to one of the most famous pharaonic-era ruins within the country, including the Karnak temple and the royal tombs within the Valley of the Kings.
The British foreign office confirmed it was making urgent inquiries with its colleagues in Egypt to ensure reports of British casualties.
Hot air balloon crashes have happened in Luxor before.
Two British women were among 16 injured when their balloon came down in April 2009.
The incident comes at an extremely bad time for the Egyptian tourism industry, that is still struggling to rebuild after political upheaval deterred visitors.