US singer feared dead in Swiss crash

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) - US pop singer Melanie Thornton is feared dead after Saturday's plane crash near Zurich in Switzerland. Zurich police spokesman Karl Steiner reported that the singer was on the passenger list and said: "She is not among the survivors."

Melanie Thornton was on tour to publicise her solo album Ready to Fly and her new single Wonderful Dream, which was due for release on 26 November.

Ms Thornton was born in May 1967 in South Carolina in the USA.

Hits

She found success in Germany, were she arrived in 1992 with just $15. She went on to front dance act La Bouche with Lane McCray and had series of hits including Be My Lover, Sweet Dreams and Falling In Love. But the group's second album fared less well and Ms Thornton left the group in February 2000 for an independent career.

Her upcoming single has been chosen as the song for a new Coca-Cola TV commercial.

The Crossair Flight LX3597 from Berlin was carrying 28 passengers and five crew when it came down in poor weather conditions on its final approach to the airport on Saturday evening. The crash killed 24 people on board but nine survived.
Swiss authorities have not given the names of those on board.