‘Sala killed by head, trunk injuries’

LONDON: Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala died of “head and trunk injuries”, an inquest in England heard on Monday as it began to examine his death in a plane crash in the sea.

Sala, 28, had signed for Premier League side Cardiff City and was flying to his new team from his old club Nantes in France when his plane went missing over the Channel on Jan 21.

The wreckage was located on the seabed. The striker’s body was recovered but pilot David Ibbotson is still missing. The plane remains under the sea.

In a brief hearing in Bournemouth on the south coast, an inquest into Sala’s death was opened, and adjourned until Nov 6 pending further inquiries.

The post-mortem presented at the hearing gave Sala’s cause of death as “head and trunk injuries.” Sala was formally identified by fingerprints.

In English law, inquests are held to examine sudden or unexplained deaths.

They set out to determine the identity of the deceased, the place and time of death as well as how the deceased came by their death, but they do not apportion blame.

Senior coroner’s officer Ian Parry told the hearing that the plane “was located on the seabed in international waters”.

“Following a closer examination of the site a body, later identified as Mr Sala, was found and recovered.

“To date the pilot, Mr Ibbotson, has not been found.

“Police, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the Civil Aviation Authority are continuing with their inquiries,” he said.