At least five people died, and 40 have been injured after a bus crashed in a remote Alpine region of eastern Switzerland on Friday. The vehicle involved in the crash was Dutch tour bus with 48 people on board, according to reports.
Swiss authorities have stated that the accident occurred near the village of Susch, between the communes of Susch and Zernez in the far-eastern canton of Graubunden. Local authorities added that the coach hit a safety barrier before overturning and plunging down an embankment. Three of the injured are in a serious condition, seven had moderately serious injuries, and 30 were slightly injured, police said. Zernez is the entry point for visitors to the Swiss national park, which is a vast Alpine reserve stretching more than 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) across the mountainous Engadine valley. The bus was carrying 48 passengers on board, all Dutch nationals, said a spokeswoman for the General Dutch Association of Travel Companies, acting as spokesperson for tour operator OAD.
A statement from OAD in Dutch also said that it was “deeply shocked and devastated by the tragic bus accident” and its thoughts were with those involved and their loved ones.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry has also taken notice of the accident, and Swiss President Guy Parmelin vowed that Swiss authorities would ensure a “comprehensive and thorough investigation” of the case. (With inputs from AFP, Reuters)
