The bodies of the seven Indian tourists who died in a helicopter accident on Tuesday have been repatriated. The victims, all aged between 39 and 50, were flown on two separate flights from Zurich to Bombay and New Delhi.

Police in canton Valais, where the accident occurred, said about 20 friends and relatives who had remained in Switzerland to carry out the formalities linked to the repatriation of the bodies, also left on board the two aircraft.

Seven Indians and a Swiss pilot were killed when two helicopters collided as they were coming in to land on a football field near the town of Sion.

Police said investigators were still questioning the three Indians who were injured in the crash. They said the process had been delayed because of a translation problem, as the three only spoke Hindi.

They are expected to return home in about ten days' time. The Swiss pilot who was injured in the collision has now been discharged from hospital.

A spokesman for the owners of the two helicopters, Air Glaciers, said it expected some of the survivors or families of those who died in the crash to take legal action. But he said no suits had been filed so far.

An investigation is underway into what caused the crash between the aircraft, which had been flying the tourists on five minute sightseeing trips over the Alps.

Meanwhile, 10 football games that were due to be held this weekend on the field onto which the aircraft crashed have been cancelled. The pitch has been closed as a mark of respect to those who died.

swissinfo with agencies

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