The wreckage of a missing light aircraft, carrying four Swiss, has been found after a three-day search operation in northern Italy. None of the people on board survived.

The plane crashed in a gorge near Osiglia, in the province of Savona , after setting out on a flight from Colombier in canton Neuchatel on Friday.

The cause of the crash is not known. According to Italian aviation authorities, the pilot did not indicate any problems during the flight.

The identity of the victims has not been released, but they are said to have lived in cantons Bern and Fribourg.

Rescue workers said they were able to pinpoint the crash site because of burnt trees in the surrounding area. The lack of an exact flight plan and a malfunctioning transmitter had hindered the search operation.

swissinfo with agencies

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative