5:23pm UK, Saturday January 01, 2011
A hot air balloon has crashed near a bowls club in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, killing two people.
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Avon and Somerset police said that the incident happened at around 9.30am.
Emergency services were alerted at 9.47am.
Sarah Allen from Avon Fire and Rescue told Sky News that when firefighters arrived at the scene, the blaze was already well developed.
She said: "Unfortunately there were two males on board, both of whom had perished in the fire.
"There were also LPG gas cylinders which were venting.
"The balloon we understand was attempting some kind of high-altitude flight and was being monitored at the time by Bristol air traffic control."
She added that the balloonists had been trying to climb to 20,000ft and had had a ground crew with them but lost them in the cloud.
This image from viewer Rob Pawley shows the balloon after the fire had been put out
Reporting from the scene, Sky's Darren Little said the members of the victim's families had been part of the ground crew which had been tracking the balloon.
He added that some witnesses had said "they heard a noise that sounded like a light aircraft flying very low and other people say that the balloon part of the hot air balloon had actually folded up."
An investigation has been launched by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Police added that no other aircraft had been involved in the incident and nobody on the ground had been injured.
Barrie Dando, chairman of the Prattens Bowls Club where the balloon came down, said there would have been more casualties if it had come down nearby.
He said: "There is private housing, terraced housing, not very far away at all and a school on the other side of the road. It could have come down on one of the houses.
"And on another day in the summer, people may have been out playing bowls."
Police have appealed for any witnesses with information to call 0845 4567000.
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