Osama Bin Laden's Relatives Among Plane Crash Dead

Osama Bin Laden's Relatives Among Plane Crash Dead

Relatives of al Qaida founder Osama bin Laden were among the four people who died when a private jet crash-landed at a car auction site in Hampshire.

The Saudi-registered Phenom 300 jet was attempting to land at Blackbushe Airport when it crashed on to dozens of cars and burst into flames on Friday afternoon.

Hampshire Police confirmed that all three passengers on board the plane were members of the large and wealthy Bin Laden family, from Saudi Arabia, who were visiting the UK on holiday.

The plane's Jordanian pilot also died in the crash.

Arab media have named the relatives as Osama bin Laden's stepmother Rajaa Hashim, his sister Sana bin Laden and her husband Zuhair Hashim.

A police spokesman said: "We do believe three of the deceased to be the mother, sister and brother-in-law of the owner of the aircraft, all of whom are from the Bin Laden family, but formal post-mortem examinations are ongoing.

"They were Saudi Arabian nationals and visiting the UK on vacation."

The Saudi ambassador to the UK offered his condolences to the Bin Laden family, who own a major construction company in Saudi Arabia.

The statement said: "His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud ... has paid his condolences to the family and relatives of Mohammed bin Laden at Blackbushe Airport in Britain for the great loss they have suffered as a result of the crash of the plane that was carrying the family."

A further statement said the embassy would work with the British authorities to ensure a quick repatriation of the bodies for burial.

The plane had flown in from Malpensa Airport in Milan to the airfield.

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