At least 16 killed in Texas hot air balloon crash
July 31, Texas: All 16 people on board have been killed when a hot air balloon has caught fire and crashed in the US state of Texas, the Texas department of safety said.
The balloon came down in fields near Lockhart, about 30 miles (50km) south of the state capital Austin. It is the deadliest hot air balloon crash in the US.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also confirmed Saturday's crash, which occurred outside the city of Austin on a clear day.
According to Caldwell County sheriff Daniel Law, the basket of the balloon was on fire when emergency crews arrived.
Videos posted by local media suggest the balloon came down near tall power lines, but the cause is not yet known..
Local resident Margaret Wylie said she was outside her home when she heard two "pops" which she thought was a gun going off.
More than 150 commercial hot air balloon companies are in operation in North America, he said.
The accident occurred about three years after 19 people, mostly Asian and European tourists, were killed in a hot air balloon crash in Luxor, Egypt.
The Oslo Times International News Network
