Investigation begins at the site of the plane crash in Croatia, number of people on board still unknown

(Patria) - Police and the Agency for Investigation of Accidents in Air, Maritime and Rail Transport have begun their investigation at the crash site of the 'Cirrus 20' aircraft on Mala Kapela.

There is no official confirmation yet that there were three Dutch citizens on board and that the plane was registered in the Netherlands. The police have secured the entire area, and the investigation is being conducted by the police, the State Attorney's Office of Karlovac County, and the Agency for Investigation of Accidents in Air, Maritime and Rail Transport with chief aviation investigator Danko Petrin.

"We received a call from the police for assistance in conducting an on-site investigation at the accident site in the forest area of Mali Makovnik above the village of Modruš. He confirmed that it is a place where winter 'lasts the longest' and that the conditions there are difficult. The terrain is difficult to access, snow lingers for a long time, and there are also mine-suspected areas. But the HGSS from Ogulin, which is also on site, will help them," stated the commander of PVZ Ogulin, Mladen Žilić.

The 'Cirrus 20' aircraft was found yesterday around 7:15 PM on the northern slopes of Mala Kapela mountain in a difficult-to-access area. The aircraft was traveling between Maribor and Pula, and its radar trace was lost around 12:15 PM. 120 people participated in the search with drones, quads, and off-road vehicles, as well as a Croatian Air Force Black Hawk helicopter. Dense fog prevailed in the area during the day, which hampered visibility.