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Lockhart

As many as 16 dead after Texas hot air balloon crash

Officials say there are likely no survivors.

Hot Air Balloon Crash Texas AP Photo / James Vertuno AP Photo / James Vertuno / James Vertuno

OFFICIALS IN THE Texas city of Lockhart say they believe there are no survivors after a hot air balloon crashed.

That would put the death toll at 16.

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

The Federal Aviation Administration said in an earlier statement that the accident happened shortly after 7.40am today local time (1.40pm here) near Lockhart, when the hot air balloon crashed into a pasture. The FAA said there were at least 16 people on board.

TX BALLOON CRASH Apexchange Apexchange

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are going to the scene to investigate.

he land near the crash site is mostly farmland, with corn crops and grazing cattle. Cutting through that farmland is a row of massive high-capacity transmission lines about four to five storeys tall. The site of the crash appears to be right below the overhead lines, though authorities haven’t provided further details about what happened

Texas Governor Greg Abbott asked in a statement that “all of Texas to join us in praying for those lost.”

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