Hot Air Balloon Fire Kills 16

Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law told local media today that there were no survivors following a freak accident in which a hot air balloon caught fire in flight and crashed in Texas.

The crash happened in Lockhart, about 30 miles south of Austin, just before 8 a.m. local time today. The Federal Aviation Administration said there were 16 people on board.

Law said his Sheriff's Department responded to a 911 call about a possible vehicle crash near a pasture outside Lockhart, Texas. Emergency responders quickly realized that the reported fire was the basket portion of a hot air balloon.

Law said that authorities are still working to identify the victims, so no names have yet been released.

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

The area has been cordoned off for investigation, although that hasn't stopped amateur videographers from trying to get a sense for the situation.

CNN reports that the National Transportation Safety Board will take the lead in the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration as well as the operator and the manufacturer of the balloon cooperating.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Eric Weiss said that investigators should arrive today, but that the agency knows "very, very little right now" about what happened.