In short
- A tourist coach overturned between Susch and Zernez in Switzerland’s Graubünden region, also known as Grisons, late on Thursday afternoon, local police said.
- Forty-eight Dutch passengers were on board, according to a spokeswoman for the General Dutch Association of Travel Companies, speaking on behalf of the tour operator OAD.
- Local police said several people were killed and several others injured, but no exact death toll has been released.
- Swiss President Guy Parmelin said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident and offered his “sincere condolences” to the families of the victims.
- Zernez is the entry point for visitors to the Swiss National Park, a reserve stretching more than 100 sq km (40 sq miles) across the Engadine valley.
A tourist coach carrying 48 Dutch passengers overturned between Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region of south-eastern Switzerland late on Thursday afternoon, killing several people and injuring several others, local police said. A large team of rescuers equipped with several helicopters was deployed to the scene.
How many people were on the coach?
There were 48 Dutch passengers on board, according to a spokeswoman for the General Dutch Association of Travel Companies, speaking on behalf of the tour operator OAD. The coach had left the Netherlands on Monday and was on a day trip to Switzerland from Austria when the crash happened.
Where did the coach crash?
The bus overturned between Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region, also known as Grisons, late on Thursday afternoon, local police said.
How many people were killed or injured?
No exact death toll has been released. Local police said several people were killed and several injured. The spokeswoman for the General Dutch Association of Travel Companies told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf she could not yet say how many of the 48 passengers on board had been killed or injured.
What did the emergency response involve?
A large team of rescuers equipped with several helicopters was deployed to the scene, local police said. Emergency services have mounted comparable mass-casualty responses elsewhere, including after the fire at a school in Bukavu, DR Congo, that killed at least 24 children.
What did images from the scene show?
Images published on Swiss news sites showed the coach lying on its side beside a narrow country road, on which numerous ambulances stood while groups of rescuers worked at the scene.
What did Swiss President Guy Parmelin say?
In a post on X, Swiss President Guy Parmelin said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident and offered his “sincere condolences” to the families of the victims. Parmelin said there would be a “comprehensive” investigation into what happened.
What is the Swiss National Park?
Zernez, near the crash site, is the entry point for visitors to the Swiss National Park, a vast Alpine reserve stretching more than 100 sq km (40 sq miles) across the mountainous Engadine valley.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were on the coach that crashed in the Swiss Alps?
Forty-eight Dutch passengers were on board, according to a spokeswoman for the General Dutch Association of Travel Companies, speaking on behalf of the tour operator OAD.
Where did the coach crash in Switzerland?
The coach overturned between Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region, also known as Grisons, in south-eastern Switzerland, late on Thursday afternoon.
How many people died in the coach crash?
Local police said several people were killed and several others injured. No exact death toll has been released, and the Dutch travel association spokeswoman said the figures could not yet be confirmed.
What did Swiss President Guy Parmelin say about the crash?
In a post on X, Guy Parmelin said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident, offered his “sincere condolences” to the families of the victims and said there would be a “comprehensive” investigation.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. ALPine Coaches of Llandudno. AP07ALP, London Aug 2009 – Flickr – sludgegulper — Felix O / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)