Small plane crashes in the Swiss Alps, killing three people

Three people have died after a small single-engine plane crashed in the Swiss Alps, in the southwestern part of the country.

Valais cantonal police said the accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon, when the plane crashed into the northern slope of a mountain in the Fluchalp area, near the mountain resort of Leukerbad. The crash was reported shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time.

Local residents alerted the emergency services after noticing smoke rising from the crash site. In its statement, police said that, for reasons still unknown, the plane had crashed into the northern slope of the mountain in Fluchalp, Leukerbad, and that traces of smoke were subsequently observed in the area.

There were three people on board, none of whom survived. Swiss authorities have begun procedures to identify the victims, but their names have not yet been released.

The plane had departed from Lugano, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, and had stopped in Sion, in the canton of Valais. It then headed toward Buchs Airport, in the canton of Nidwalden, but crashed in mountainous terrain for reasons that remain unclear.

Rescue forces, three helicopters and two specialized teams were involved in the operation at the scene. A photograph released by local police shows parts of the aircraft scattered across the mountainside.

Swiss federal authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances and causes of the accident. At the same time, a criminal investigation is also underway under the supervision of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland and in cooperation with Valais cantonal police.

At this stage, no information has been released regarding either the identities of the three people who died or the events that led to the crash.