All hot-air balloon sightseeing trips in China's Yangshuo region have been suspended following the horrific accident which claimed the lives of four Dutch tourists.

The four were killed when the balloon they were in failed to land properly and then caught fire according to eyewitness reports.

Paulien Leisink is the Dutch owner of a hostel in the area and she confirmed the balloons have now been grounded:

“I don’t know if they will ever be allowed to go up into the air again,"  she said.

In an interview with RNW's Newsline the owner of the Giggling Tree Hostel went on to say that she had previously thought the balloons were very safe. She said there hadn't been serious accidents before this one. 

Listen to the interview:

Hotel worker Ronald van der Weerd also confirms that in the eight years he has been going to the area he has never heard of a serious accident. “I always feel safe in the balloons,” he adds.

The four Dutch tourists were killed when their balloon caught fire after a failed landing according to eyewitness reports.

The tragic accident took place in the Yangshuo region in Guangxi province, southern China. The region is famed for its beautiful limestone peaks and hot air ballooning is a major tourist activity.