Fatal coach crash in the Swiss Alps

Five people were killed and 40 others injured when a coach carrying Dutch tourists overturned on a remote Alpine road in eastern Switzerland on Thursday afternoon, police reported. The accident occurred between the villages of Susch and Zernez in the canton of Graubünden, also known as Grisons.

The bus, which was travelling in a construction zone, collided with a crash barrier before overturning, according to a police spokesperson. Police said no other vehicles were believed to have been involved.

Three of the injured were reported to be in a serious condition, with seven moderately hurt and 30 described as having minor injuries. Rescue efforts involved seven helicopters and 13 ambulance crews, police said, with teams working through the night to free passengers from the wreckage.

The dead have yet to be identified. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The passengers and the coach

The coach belonged to the Dutch tour operator Oad and was carrying 48 passengers from the Netherlands, with the Dutch Federation of Travel Agencies (ANVR) confirming the details to the newspaper De Telegraaf. Reports cited police as confirming the bus carried 45 adults, though survivor numbers have varied.

A spokesperson for the travel association said, "These are Dutch customers of OAD. We cannot yet say exactly how many people have been killed or injured." The Dutch Foreign Ministry said it was too early to determine the number of victims, while a police spokesperson said the force did not wish to provide a more detailed toll until victims' families had been informed.

The coach had left the Netherlands on Monday and was on a day trip to Switzerland from Austria when the crash happened, according to the ANVR. The incident occurred in the Engadine valley, a popular tourist area near the entrance to the Swiss National Park.

Oad, the travel agency behind the trip, said in a statement that it was "deeply shocked and devastated by the tragic bus accident" and its thoughts were with those involved and their loved ones.

Political reaction and investigation

Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed his condolences, writing on X that he was "deeply shocked and dismayed" over what he described as a "tragic accident" involving the Dutch coach. He said this 'Swiss authorities would ensure a 'comprehensive and thorough investigation'. The Dutch royal family also issued a statement of support, writing, "Our hearts go to the bereaved, to everyone currently fearing for the fate of their loved ones and to the injured."

In an update, the Office of the Attorney General of canton Graubünden opened proceedings to the driver of the coach on suspicion of multiple counts of manslaughter through negligence and causing bodily harm through negligence. The driver himself was also injured. The crash is subject to a comprehensive and thorough investigation, with authorities clarifying circumstances with the cantonal police.

Victims are being treated in hospitals across several cantons as well as in neighbouring Austria, while Dutch authorities have travelled, or have been injured, to those affected. The Dutch ambassador to Bern, Karin Mössenlechner, visited survivors in hospital on Friday.