The small plane crashed high in the mountains in Switzerland on Tuesday
Two Britons are among three people confirmed to have lost their lives following a plane crash in the Swiss Alps.
The light aircraft came down high in the mountains near the town of Leukerbad, in the southern canton of Valais, Switzerland, on Tuesday, September 15.
All three passengers aboard the aircraft perished, with police working to identify the victims, though two have been confirmed as British nationals.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has confirmed it is “providing support to the families of two British nationals who died in Switzerland”.
The body added: “Our thoughts remain with the families during this difficult time.”
The Cirrus SR22T aircraft departed from Sion Airport in the Rhône Valley before striking a mountain slope in the Fluhalp area approximately 10 minutes later, for reasons that remain unclear.
The plane had originally flown from Lugano, in the southern Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, before making a stop at Sion.
Local residents swiftly alerted the emergency services after spotting smoke rising from the stricken aircraft shortly after 4pm.
Three helicopters and two rescue specialists were among the team dispatched to the scene.
Swiss federal authorities have launched a formal investigation into the crash, alongside a criminal inquiry by the Office of the Attorney General of the Confederation and the Valais cantonal police.
Images released by local police show the wreckage of the aircraft strewn across the mountainside.
The local force stated: “Shortly after 4pm, for reasons yet to be determined, the aircraft collided with the northern slope of a mountain in the Fluhalp area of Leukerbad. Signs of smoke were subsequently reported in the region.”
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