Dutch Tour Bus Crash Kills Five in Swiss Alps

Five people were killed and 40 injured when a bus carrying 45 Dutch tourists overturned in a remote Alpine area of eastern Switzerland, according to Swiss police. The crash occurred on Thursday near the village of Susch in the canton of Grisons. The bus left the road and landed in a construction zone. Police reported the casualties on Friday, but the identities of those who died had not yet been released. Of the 40 injured passengers, three were in serious condition, seven had moderate injuries and 30 suffered minor injuries. The emergency response involved seven rescue helicopters and 13 ambulance crews, which transported the injured to hospitals. Police have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash, but no explanation had been provided at the time of publication. The tragedy prompted condolences from officials in both Switzerland and the Netherlands. Swiss President Guy Parmelin said he was “deeply shocked and dismayed” and expressed his sincere condolences to the victims’ families. Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima also issued a statement expressing sympathy for those who died, concern for people awaiting news about loved ones and support for the injured. The incident occurred in a mountainous and relatively remote region, requiring a large-scale emergency response. The article does not provide details about the bus operator, the victims’ identities, the precise circumstances leading to the crash or whether weather, road conditions or mechanical problems played a role. Investigators were continuing to examine what caused the bus to overturn.

Five people have died and dozens more have been injured after a Dutch tourist coach crashed in the south-eastern Swiss Alps, according to Swiss police. The accident happened late on Thursday afternoon between Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region, where the coach struck a safety barrier in a roadworks area, left the road and overturned. Police said the five deceased passengers had not yet been identified. The remaining 40 people aboard the coach suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious and were taken to hospitals by ambulance crews and rescue helicopters. Three people were reported to be seriously injured. Seven helicopters from Switzerland and Austria, along with firefighters and the Plaiv road rescue service, took part in the emergency response. The coach reportedly departed from the Netherlands on Monday and was travelling on a day trip to Switzerland from Austria when the crash occurred. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten expressed his sympathy for everyone involved. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima also offered condolences, describing the incident as “this great tragedy”. Swiss President Guy Parmelin said he was “deeply shocked” and sent his “sincere condolences” to the victims’ families. The Graubünden public prosecutor’s office and police are investigating the circumstances of the crash. Zernez, near the accident site, is a gateway to the Swiss National Park, a large Alpine reserve extending across the Engadine valley.

A Dutch tour bus carrying 45 people crashed in eastern Switzerland on Thursday afternoon, killing five passengers and injuring the remaining 40, according to Swiss police. The accident occurred in a construction zone on the road between Susch and Zernez in the Alpine canton of Graubuenden when the bus struck a roadside crash barrier and overturned. No other vehicles were believed to have been involved. The crash prompted a large-scale emergency response. Seven rescue helicopters and 13 ambulance crews were deployed to evacuate victims. Images from the scene showed emergency workers in fluorescent protective suits using power saws to cut into the overturned bus overnight. Three of the injured people remained in serious condition in hospital. Police and prosecutors were investigating the cause of the accident. Authorities had not publicly identified the victims or explained why the bus left the roadway. Oad, the travel agency that organized the trip, said it was “deeply shocked and devastated” and expressed sympathy for those affected and their families. Swiss President Guy Parmelin promised a “comprehensive and thorough investigation.” Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima also expressed condolences, saying their thoughts were with the victims’ relatives, people worried about loved ones, and those injured. The incident was one of the most serious recent road accidents in the region and involved a substantial coordinated rescue effort in difficult Alpine terrain.

A Dutch tour bus carrying 45 passengers crashed and overturned Thursday afternoon in a construction zone in eastern Switzerland, killing five people and injuring the other 40, according to Swiss police. The accident occurred between the Alpine villages of Susch and Zernez in the canton of Graubuenden after the coach struck a roadside crash barrier. Police said no other vehicles were believed to have been involved, while prosecutors and investigators examined the cause of the crash. The emergency response involved seven rescue helicopters and 13 ambulance crews, which worked to evacuate victims from the overturned bus. Three injured people remained in serious condition in hospital. Images from the scene showed rescue workers wearing fluorescent protective clothing cutting into the wreckage with power saws overnight. Oad, the travel agency that organized or operated the trip, said it was “deeply shocked and devastated by the tragic bus accident” and expressed sympathy for those involved and their families. Swiss President Guy Parmelin also responded publicly on X, promising that Swiss authorities would conduct a “comprehensive and thorough investigation.” The report provides no information about the identities or nationalities of the victims beyond noting that the bus was Dutch-operated or associated with a Dutch tour. It also does not identify a suspected cause, such as weather, mechanical failure or driver error. The crash took place in a construction area, but investigators had not established whether that contributed to the accident. The scale of the emergency response and the number of fatalities underline the severity of the incident, while the ongoing police and prosecutorial investigation is expected to determine what led the coach to hit the barrier and overturn.

Several people were killed and others injured when a coach carrying Dutch tourists crashed in eastern Switzerland, according to local police. The accident occurred at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Thursday between the communes of Susch and Zernez in the canton of Graubünden, near Switzerland’s far-eastern border region. A local police spokesman told Swiss media that the vehicle struck a safety barrier, overturned and then plunged down an embankment. The Dutch Federation of Travel Agencies, known by its Dutch acronym ANVR, said the coach was operated by the tour company Oad and was carrying 48 passengers, all of whom were from the Netherlands. The cantonal police confirmed that several people had died and that several others were injured, but did not immediately provide a precise death toll or details about the victims. Police also declined to explain the circumstances of the crash in greater detail. A spokesman said authorities did not want to release a more detailed toll before the victims’ families had been informed. Emergency responders were photographed working at the crash site near Susch. The report, published by Agence France-Presse, provides no information about the condition of the injured passengers, the cause of the crash, or whether road or weather conditions played a role. It also does not identify the victims. The incident involved a Dutch tour coach and prompted an emergency response in the mountainous Swiss canton of Graubünden.