Laden’s family feared dead in plane crash in Britain

London, Aug 1:

Family members of former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were reportedly killed when a private jet crashed in Britain’s Hampshire county and ploughed into a car auction centre, the media reported on Saturday.

The jet, inbound from Milan, crashed near Blackbushe Airport, Yateley, on Friday killing the pilot and all three passengers.

According to sources, the vitims included bin Laden’s stepmother Rajaa Hashim and sister Sana, The Telegraph reported.

Osama’s brother-in-law and Sana’s husband, Zuhair Hashim, is also believed have been killed in the crash.

The deaths of the family members was confirmed on Twitter by the country’s ambassador to Britain, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud.

“His royal highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz, the ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United Kingdom, offered his condolences to the sons of the late Mohammed bin Laden and their relations for the grave incident of the crash of the plane carrying members of the family at Balckbushe airport,” he tweeted.

The plane – an Embraer Phenom 300 – is reported to have belonged to an aviation firm owned by the Saudi-based family of the former Al Qaeda leader, who was shot dead by US forces in Pakistan in 2011.

The Saudi embassy added that it was working with the British authorities to ensure the speedy hand over of the bodies for funerals and burials in Saudi Arabia.

Eyewitnesses at the scene said there had been a “ball of flames” and “several explosions”.

Its pilot and all three passengers were killed but no-one on the ground was injured, Hampshire Police said. (IANS)