The pilot of the Egyptian hot air balloon in which Perth woman Yvonne Rennie lost her life has been detained, according to weekend reports.
Hospital administrator Mrs Rennie, 48, was a passenger in the balloon which exploded over Luxor in February.
Her husband Michael was the only passenger to escape with his life but pilot Momin Murad, 29, also survived and was detained after being released from hospital, where he was being treated for horrific burns.
He appeared in court last week and was remanded in custody for 15 days for further questioning. Nineteen tourists were killed when the balloon caught fire in mid-air before plummeting to the ground.
Construction worker Mr Rennie is said to be in constant contact with the authorities in Cairo. He was unavailable for comment.
He and Mr Murad survived because they leapt to safety when the balloon was relatively near the ground. Initials reports suggest the accident was caused by a loose tow rope which dislodged a gas pipe as the balloon came in to land.
Murad’s sister Marwa, 22, said: “This tragedy will haunt Momin for the rest of his life. If it was up to him he would have died trying to save the tourists.”
Meanwhile, balloon trips for tourists in the Luxor province were expected to resume yesterday after the aviation authority met with flight operators to discuss the findings of their investigation into the fatal crash.
Pilots will be bound by strict new safety rules.