Light aircraft crashes at Basel-Mulhouse Airport

Police have closed Basel-Mulhouse Airport after a small plane crashed on the runway killing one person while it was trying to land in thick fog.

Police and emergency services rushed to the scene after aprivate Piper PA-34 Senaca plane crashed on landing due to fog and caught fire at 17.41pm on Wednesday evening, the airport declared. The fire brigade put out the fire.

According to the airport, one person died in the accident. An investigation has been opened.

The police closed the main runway after the crash.

Flights to and from the regional airport 3.5km northwest of Basel were severely affected. A journalist from Swiss public television, SRF, said all flights appeared cancelled tonight and a ‘certain degree of chaos’ at the airport.

British Airways told the Daily Telegraph its 5.27pm BA749 flight to Heathrow would not take place on Wednesday night, and a flight in the opposite direction would be delayed until Thursday.

A BA spokesman said: “We are looking after customers and re-booking them on to alternative flights to minimise disruption to their travel plans.”

Easyjet was warning customers its 9.10pm flight from the Swiss city to Gatwick would be delayed because of a “runway closure”.

There are reports thatArsenal fans are among the hundreds strandedat the airport after they watched their side beat Basel 4-1 on Tuesday night in the Champions League in the city in northwest Switzerland.