World
Coach Crash in Swiss Alps Kills Five, Injures Dozens of Dutch Tourists
By Today News Hours Editorial Desk
A tourist bus crash in the southeastern Swiss Alps has left five people dead and dozens injured, according to Swiss police. The Dutch tour coach struck a safety barrier in a roadworks zone, veered off the road and overturned between the villages of Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region on Thursday afternoon.
Authorities said on Friday that the identities of the five victims had not yet been confirmed. The remaining 40 passengers sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious and were taken to hospitals by helicopter and ambulance crews. Graubünden cantonal police reported that three people suffered serious injuries in the crash.
The coach had departed the Netherlands on Monday and was completing a day trip into Switzerland from Austria at the time of the accident. Seven helicopters from Switzerland and Austria took part in the rescue operation, supported by fire departments and the Plaiv road rescue service.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten expressed that his thoughts were with everyone affected by the crash. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands said their hearts went out to all those impacted by what they called "this great tragedy." Swiss President Guy Parmelin said on social media platform X that he was "deeply shocked" by the incident and extended his "sincere condolences" to the victims' families.
The public prosecutor's office and police in Graubünden are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. Zernez, near the crash site, serves as the main entry point to the Swiss National Park, an Alpine reserve covering more than 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) across the Engadine valley.