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A Second World War plane that crash-landed in Switzerland has been uncovered after 72 years, thanks to the recent heatwave.

The American C-53 Skytrooper, a military transport plane also known as a Dakota, was flying from Tulln in Austria to the Italian city of Pisa on November 18 1946 when a snowstorm forced it to crash-land onto the Gauli Glacier in the Bernese Alps at a speed of around 174mph. It is thought that rough weather had led the pilots to take a detour and fly via Munich, Strasbourg and Marseille, rather than cross the Alps.

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All those on board, which included eight passengers and four crew members, were rescued five days after the crash by Swiss ski soldiers, who were alerted to the accident by an emergency radio message.

However, the plane itself has remained hidden in the glacier, buried under deep layers of snow and ice — until now.

Unusually warm weather in Switzerland has meant experts have for the first time been able to uncover large parts of the aircraft. Among the debris are objects such as wings and propellers, as well as items found inside, such as tin cans, hangers and spoons.