Hot Air Balloon crash, 16 feared dead near Austin

According to the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, “it does not appear at this time that there were any survivors of the crash.”

“Investigators are determining the number and the identities of victims at this time”, added the Sheriff’s Office.

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Federal officials say a hot air balloon carrying at least 16 people caught on fire and crashed in Central Texas, and it is unclear how many are injured.

Austin media is reporting fatalities with the crash.

Lynn Lunsford with the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the accident happened shortly after 7:40 a.m. Saturday near Lockhart, Texas, when the hot air balloon crashed into a pasture.

Lunsford said that the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are going to the scene to investigate.

Lockhart is about 30 miles south of Austin.