Five people have died, and dozens more are injured after a tourist coach crashed and overturned in the south-eastern Swiss Alps.
The Dutch tour bus, carrying 45 passengers, struck a safety barrier in a roadworks area before leaving the road and flipping onto its side. The incident occurred late Thursday afternoon on a narrow mountain route between the villages of Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region.
A massive, cross-border rescue operation was immediately launched. Seven helicopters from Switzerland and Austria, alongside local fire departments and road rescue services, worked to evacuate the 40 survivors. Authorities confirmed that three people sustained serious injuries, while others suffered minor wounds, and all were swiftly transported to nearby hospitals.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves across both nations. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten expressed his deepest sympathies, while King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima stated their hearts went out to everyone affected by “this great tragedy.” Swiss President Guy Parmelin also voiced his profound shock, offering sincere condolences to the victims’ families.
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The coach had departed the Netherlands on Monday and was on a day trip to the nearby Swiss National Park from Austria when the disaster struck. The identities of the deceased have not yet been released as authorities work to notify next of kin.
As the Graubünden cantonal police and public prosecutor’s office launch a formal investigation into the circumstances of the crash, a popular tourist route is left scarred. For the families waiting for news, the majestic backdrop of the Engadine valley has become a place of profound and sudden loss.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
