AUSTIN: At least 16 people were feared dead when a hot air balloon caught fire and crashed in a pasture near the central Texas city of Lockhart on Saturday, according to federal and local authorities.
“It does not appear at this time that there were any survivors of the crash,” Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law said in a statement, according to his office.
The sheriff’s office said it was working to determine the identities of those aboard the balloon.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash about 50 km south of Austin and did not offer any information on fatalities. The agency said at least 16 people were on board the balloon. Texas governor Greg Abbott offered his condolences to those killed in the crash.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the Lockhart community,” he said in a statement.
The names of the pilots and passengers and their relation to each other were not released. Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the FAA, said he did not know what had led up to the crash or if there had been a distress call.