A small aircraft crashed into a mountainside near the Swiss resort of Leukerbad on Tuesday, killing all three people on board, authorities confirmed. The single-engine Cirrus SR22T went down in the Fluhalp region of Leukerbad, Valais, shortly after 4pm, according to Valais Cantonal Police.
Flight from Lugano to Buochs ends in tragedy
The aircraft had departed from Lugano via Sion and was en route to Buochs when it struck a north-facing mountainside in the Fluhalp vicinity at approximately 4pm. Onlookers reported seeing substantial smoke clouds rising from the area.
Emergency responders rushed to the location and verified that all three passengers had died. Three rescue helicopters were dispatched to the crash scene, while police and fire brigades from Leukerbad and Sion Airport also responded.
Investigation under way
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.
Second fatal transport incident in days
This Alpine disaster follows just days after a Dutch tour coach capsized in eastern Switzerland, claiming multiple lives. The coach 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.
