LOCKHART, Tex. — A hot-air balloon carrying 16 people caught fire and crashed in Central Texas on Saturday, officials said, and the local authorities said no one had survived.

The balloon crashed in a pasture near Lockhart, a town about 30 miles south of Austin, said Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. Initial reports from officials said the balloon had plummeted after catching fire in the air, but at least one witness said it might have struck high-tension power lines before hitting the ground and bursting into flames. The accident occurred shortly after 7:40 a.m., Mr. Lunsford said.

In a brief telephone interview, Mr. Lunsford said that officials were on their way to the site and that the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified. The agency will be in charge of the investigation.

Mr. Lunsford said he did not know what had led to the crash or whether there had been a distress call. The Caldwell County sheriff, Daniel Law, said in a statement, “It does not appear at this time that there were any survivors.”