16 feared dead in US balloon crash

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Sixteen people are feared dead in a hot air balloon crash on Saturday morning in the southern U.S. state of Texas, an official said.

photo: QAZINFORM

The crash near Lockhart, around 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Austin, happened around 8.40 a.m. local time (1240GMT) when the balloon crashed into a pasture after catching fire mid-flight with at least 16 people on board, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official Lynn Lunsford said in a statement.

The FAA is heading to the scene to investigate as officials try to determine the number and identities of victims.

Kazinform refers to Trend.az