The World : 13 Die as Balloon Crashes

Thirteen people were killed in a hot-air balloon accident in central Australia, police said. The balloon crashed in a desert area about 10 miles south of the Alice Springs airport. Police, who said all aboard the balloon were killed, had not yet determined the cause of the accident, and it was not immediately known how high the balloon was flying before the accident. The Australian Associated Press said the balloon often carried a dozen tourists at a time on rides. It was the second fatal hot-air balloon accident in nine days. Another occurred in Baton Rouge, La., on Aug. 5, when a balloon deflated at 3,000 feet during a national competition and crashed, killing the pilot. Investigators there said the balloon was leaking before takeoff.