The toll from the accident in the Swiss Alps this morning in which a helicopter used for heli-skiing service, the practice of off-piste skiing using an aircraft as a means of ascent, was three
dead and three injured
. On board were the pilot, a mountain guide and four customers. This was reported by the Canton of Valais police. The helicopter crashed around 9.25 am on Petit Combin, where it was supposed to land to let the guide and customers off. Having arrived at the top of the mountain which culminates at 3,668 meters above sea level, the aircraft "slipped along the north face" for "a reason that the investigation will have to determine".
The three victims have already been found lifeless by search teams. Two injured people were rescued quickly and taken by helicopter to hospital. As for the third survivor, rescue teams managed to take him into care later. Seven helicopters - from Air Glaciers, Air Zermatt and Rega - were involved in the recovery and rescue operations. The Swiss Safety Investigation Service (SISI) has launched a technical investigation to determine the causes of the accident. The criminal investigation, however, is the responsibility of the federal public prosecutor responsible for aviation accidents.
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