Hot air balloon crashes in Texas, 16 aboard die

World Today

This handout photograph obtained courtesy of KXAN TV shows a police vehicle blocking a road where a hot air balloon crashed near Lockhart, Texas, July 30, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / KXAN TV / LAUREN LANMON)

A hot air balloon carrying at least 16 people caught on fire and crashed in Central Texas on Saturday, and authorities believe no one survived.

The balloon crashed into a pasture shortly after 7:40 a.m. (1240 GMT) near Lockhart, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said.

The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that investigators are determining the number of victims and their identities.

The FAA is investigating, Lunsford said.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Eric Weiss said that his agency’s investigative team should arrive later Saturday.