Helicopter, Small Plane Collided Near Austrian Ski Resort

March 5, 2007
It was not immediately clear how the accident happened and how many people died.

A helicopter and a small plane collided in the air and crashed near a ski slope in Austria, police said. Several people were presumed dead.

The late-morning collision occurred near Zell am See, in Salzburg province, but it was not immediately clear how the accident happened and how many people died, Salzburg police said.

Gerhard Huber of the Red Cross was quoted by the Austria Press Agency as saying that eight people had been killed in the accident. Police declined to confirm the figure, saying it was unclear how many people were in the two aircraft.

Austrian broadcaster ORF reported the helicopter contained seven people and that the small plane contained one person. Wreckage was scattered in a wooded area, according to ORF.

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