Geneva, August 5: A day after a vintage World War II aircraft crashed into a Swiss mountainside, the Swiss Police has informed that twenty people died in the plane crash. "The police have the sad certainty that the 20 people aboard perished," police spokeswoman Anita Senti told a news conference. Senti informed that there were 11 men and nine women aboard, including an Austrian couple and their son.

Details by Police inform that among those killed were 17 people from Switzerland while three-person family from Austria. Reports inform that Police said earlier that five helicopters were involved in a search and rescue mission and the airspace over the crash site was to remain closed until late Sunday. The aircraft belongs to JU-Air, a company with links to the Swiss air force.

Reports inform that JU-Air on its website said that it was "deeply saddened" and its "thoughts were with the passengers, the crew and families and friends of the victims". The Junker JU52 HB-HOT aircraft was built in Germany in 1939. It is now a collectors' item. The plane crashed in a basin at 2,450 metres above sea level on the west side of the Piz Segnas mountain shortly before 5 pm on Saturday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 05, 2018 06:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).