Three rescue helicopters were dispatched to the scene, where three passengers were confirmed dead
Three people have died after a plane crashed close to a renowned Swiss spa and skiing destination.
Shortly after 4pm on Tuesday (September 15) a Cirrus SR22T aircraft plummeted in the Fluhalp region of Leukerbad, Valais, after leaving Lugano via Sion, according to Valais Cantonal Police.
The single-engine aircraft was en route to Buochs, a picturesque Swiss village, when it struck a north-facing mountainside in the Fluhalp vicinity at approximately 4pm. Onlookers reported witnessing substantial smoke clouds rising from the area.
Emergency responders rushed to the location and verified that all three passengers had perished, reports the Express.
Three rescue helicopters were dispatched to the crash scene, while police and fire brigades from Leukerbad and Sion Airport also responded.
Efforts continue to officially identify the casualties. The Swiss Safety Investigation Authority (SUST) has initiated an inquiry to establish what caused the incident.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) is pursuing a criminal probe alongside Valais cantonal police.
This Alpine disaster follows just days after a Dutch tour coach capsized in eastern Switzerland, claiming multiple lives.
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The coach that overturned between Susch and Zernez in Graubünden was transporting approximately 48 Dutch travellers, including the driver, confirmed a spokesperson for the General Dutch Association of Travel Companies, representing tour operator OAD. Pictures from the location reveal the bus overturned on its side in an expansive grassy field, with ambulances encircling the adjacent road.
Helicopters were also spotted touching down close to the scene.
Oad, the travel firm organising the journey, declared in a Dutch statement that it was “deeply shocked and devastated by the tragic bus accident”, adding that its thoughts were with those affected and their families.
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