Two Britons die in tourist plane crash

Two Britons died when a light aircraft crashed after take-off and burst into flames in Botswana, an official said today.

The British pilot and seven tourists from France, Sweden and the UK, were killed.

The crash happened on Friday in the Okavango Delta. A Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said two French tourists and two Botswana citizens survived.

The chartered Cessna 208 was operated by local company Moremi Air. It crashed shortly after take-off from Xakanaka airfield in northern Botswana. It was headed for Pom Pom, a campsite in the delta famous for its birds and wildlife, including elephants. The Foreign Office confirmed that two British nationals had died in the crash. It said next of kin had been informed and provided with consular assistance.

The survivors were airlifted for medical care to Johannesburg in neighbouring South Africa.

Botswana transport ministry is investigating the accident.