LOCKHART, Texas – A hot air balloon crash has claimed the lives of 16 people in Lockhart, Texas, officials say.
The accident happened around 7:40 a.m., Saturday.
Texas authorities say the hot air balloon caught fire and crashed into a pasture adding there has been a 'significant loss of life'.
Investigators from the Caldwell county Sheriff’s Office are determining the number of victims and their identities.
Authorities have not said where the balloon was based out of, though Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel C. Law told The Associated Press that it's the kind of situation where people can walk up and buy a ticket, unlike an airplane, which would have a list of names.
The 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 4 to 5 stories tall.
The site of the crash appears to be right below the overhead lines, though authorities haven't provided further details about what happened.
Margaret Wylie lives about a quarter-mile from the crash site and told The Associated Press that she was letting her dog out Saturday morning when she heard a "pop, pop, pop."
I looked around and it was like a fireball going up," she said, noting that the fireball was located under large power lines and almost high enough to reach the bottom of them.
Wylie, who called 911, said the weather seemed clear and that she frequently sees hot air balloons in the area.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the situation. Grosof said at a news conference that the NTSB has deemed it a major accident and a full-bore investigation will begin Sunday when more federal officials arrive. Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott asked in a statement that "all of Texas to join us in praying for those lost."
Lockhart is about 30 miles south of Austin, Texas.