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Rescue workers on the mountain: It is still unclear why the plane with six occupants slipped into the northern slope of the mountain
Photo: Wallis Police / EPA
Three people died and three others were injured in a helicopter crash in southern Switzerland. According to the police, the helicopter carrying six people crashed on a mountain airfield while heli-skiing on Tuesday and slipped into a slope.
In addition to the pilot, a mountain guide and his four customers were on board the B3 machine. According to the information, two injured people were able to receive immediate medical care before they were flown to a hospital. A third person was later rescued. However, the other three occupants could only have been rescued dead.
The helicopter was supposed to take the occupants to a landing site on the Petit Combin mountain at an altitude of around 3,660 meters. In heli-skiing, skiers are flown in helicopters to remote peaks so they can ski off-piste.
It is still unclear why the machine slipped into the northern slope of the mountain. The Swiss Safety Investigation Board (Sust) initiated an investigation to clarify the cause and course of the accident.
spr/AFP/dpa