ISTANBUL, Turkey -- A hot air balloon fell in the popular tourist region of Cappadocia on Wednesday, killing a Chinese tourist and injuring six other passengers from China and Malaysia, the region's governor said.

Gov. Mehmet Ceylan said a sudden change of wind direction appeared to have caused the balloon -- which took off from Goreme -- to make a rough landing. The exact cause of the accident was under investigation, he added.

The injured tourists were hospitalized but were not in life-threatening condition, he said.

Dozens of hot air balloons carry tourists aloft most mornings in Goreme to watch the sunrise over the world-renowned landscape of geological formations in the area.

Three Brazilian tourists were killed last year when two balloons collided in flight over the Cappadocia region.