Police investigate Swartberg plane crash

The crash claimed four lives a pilot and three female passengers

South African police forensic experts have been tasked to probe the crash of a light aircraft which hit a mountain in the Swartberg mountains near Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo.

The crash killed four people - a pilot and three female passengers. It is still not clear where the plane took off from or the destination.

The accident happened around midday yesterday in misty weather conditions. The plane plunged into a rock above the Swartberg Pass.

Police spokesperson Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe says the experts are combing the scene of the accident for clues: "At this stage we don't know their identity and we also don't know where they were coming from and where they were going to. We don't have a clue at all we will be heavily relying on the investigation that will be conducted soon to ascertain that."

The Swartberg Pass between Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert will remain closed until the Civil Aviation Authorities have concluded their investigation to establish the cause of the accident.