A Chinese Foreign Ministry work panel was scheduled to arrive in Egypt at 5 p.m. Beijing time (0900GMT) on Wednesday, in the wake of nine Hong Kong tourists dying in an air balloon crash in the country.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the work panel, which left Beijing on Tuesday evening, will work with the Chinese Embassy in Cairo in dealing with developments.

A hot air balloon carrying 20 tourists exploded and plunged to the ground in the city of Egypt's Luxor on Tuesday, killing 19 people including the nine from Hong Kong.