More than sixteen people have been killed in a hot air balloon when it caught fire and crashed on Saturday in central Texas.
Spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, Lynn Lunsford, said the crash took place into a pasture near Lockhart, which is about 30 miles south of Austin at around 7:40 a.m. local time.
Lumsford added the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified about the accident and they will be investigation cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, the authorities have not yet released the names of the pilots and passengers.
Eye witness said the balloon exploded into a fireball.
A 66-year-old local resident Margaret Wylie said she saw flames shooting out sideways on looking at neighbor’s property where the balloon had struck the ground.
NTSB official Erik Grosof said it was a major accident due to significant loss of life and FBI has been asked to help them look for evidence.
This is one of the worst hot air balloon accidents. in February 2013 similar crash killed 19 people in Luxor, Egypt.
In August 1993 six people were killed when a wind gust blew a balloon into a power line complex in Woody Creek, Colorado.
