Two die as balloon crashes to earth

The incident happened shortly after 9.30am close to a golf clubhouse in Midsomer Norton, near Bath, Somerset.

A ground crew tracking the balloon lost sight of it in the clouds shortly before it came down, Avon Fire and Rescue Service said.

Two men were pronounced dead at the scene.

It is thought that the balloonists were attempting to ascend to 20,000ft when the balloon began a rapid descent.

Sarah Allen, spokeswoman for the fire service, said: "We believe the balloon was attempting a high-altitude flight.

"It was being monitored by Bristol Air Traffic Control. They had a ground crew with them that lost the balloon in the clouds."

She added that family members of the two dead were among the team attempting to follow the balloon's flight.

Witness Robert Biggs saw its rapid descent. He said: "It first sounded like a plane in trouble. It was more of a whistling sound. We looked up, there was a break in the cloud and this hot-air balloon came hurtling down."

He added that it had crashed in the middle of a bowling green.

Two off-duty firefighters were cycling nearby and went to the scene.

But by the time they arrived, the balloon's four liquid petroleum gas cylinders were spewing flames, hampering any rescue attempt.

An investigation has been launched by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

Police appealed to the public for information following the balloon crash.

Detective Inspector Mike Williams, for Avon and Somerset Police, said: "An air crash investigation team are currently looking at the circumstances of this incident to establish the cause.

"We would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the balloon in the air before the incident, or witnessed the balloon come to the ground."