Two Britons Among Three Dead in Swiss Alps Plane Crash
A small single-engine aircraft crashed into a mountainside near Leukerbad, Switzerland, killing all three on board.
Two British nationals were among three people killed when a small single-engine plane crashed in the Swiss Alps on Tuesday. The Cirrus SR22T aircraft was flying near the town of Leukerbad in the southern canton of Valais when it collided with a mountain slope.
Valais cantonal police stated that the aircraft had taken off from Sion Airport and crashed approximately 10 minutes later in the Fluhalp area for reasons that remain undetermined. All three occupants of the plane perished in the incident. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it is providing support to the families of the two British nationals who died.
Emergency services, including three helicopters and two rescue specialists, were dispatched to the remote crash site after residents reported seeing smoke rising from the aircraft. The wreckage was later visible on the mountainside.
An investigation into the cause of the crash has been initiated by federal Swiss authorities. The Office of the Attorney General of the Confederation is leading a criminal investigation in collaboration with the Valais cantonal police.
This incident follows another fatal crash in Switzerland last week, where a coach carrying tourists overturned on a mountain road in the eastern canton of Graubunden. Several people died and others were injured in that accident, with authorities not immediately releasing details on the number of victims or their nationalities.