ALPINE HORROR

3 Dead After Plane Crashes in Tourist Hot Spot

Two British nationals were among those killed when a small aircraft slammed into a mountainside in the Swiss Alps.

Three people, including two British nationals, have been killed when a light aircraft crashed into a mountainside in the Swiss Alps. The Cirrus SR22T went down near the mountain resort of Leukerbad in Switzerland after making a stopover during a northbound flight. The aircraft struck a northern slope at around 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to authorities. Witnesses reported seeing thick smoke rising from the crash site before emergency crews were alerted. Three rescue helicopters, firefighters, and other emergency teams were sent to the scene, but all three people aboard were killed. Swiss authorities said the cause of the crash remains unclear. Investigators from the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board and the country’s Office of the Attorney General have opened separate investigations into the collision. Authorities are still formally identifying the victims. The U.K. Foreign Office confirmed that two British nationals died in the crash and said it was “providing support to the families of two British nationals who died in Switzerland.” The Cirrus SR22T is a four-seat, single-engine light aircraft manufactured by American company Cirrus Aircraft.