WELLINGTON, New Zealand - All 11 people on board a hot air balloon which crashed in New Zealand Saturday were killed, a media report said.Police confirmed there were "multiple deaths", and the Fairfax News website said there were 11 people on board the scenic flight and there were no survivors.
The hot air balloon went down near Carterton, a small town just north of Wellington and a popular area for hot air ballooning.
- A fire likely started on board the balloon, sending it plummeting to the ground, said Superintendent Mike Rusbatch, Wellington District commander for New Zealand Police. It was not immediately clear what started the fire.
A power outage was reported at the time of the crash, suggesting the balloon may have hit an electricity line. - A witness to the crash told Radio New Zealand that the balloon was in flames as it fell.
He was in his garden when he heard a hissing sound and looked up to see flames climbing the sides of the basket. When the balloon hit the ground, a large cloud of smoke ascended, Radio New Zealand reported.
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