LAGOS, Nigeria. (Voice Of Naija) Five people have died, and 40 others were injured after a Dutch tour bus carrying 45 passengers crashed and overturned in eastern Switzerland
The crash happened Thursday afternoon in the Swiss Alpine canton of Graubünden, between the villages of Susch and Zernez, according to Swiss police.
The bus reportedly struck a roadside crash barrier in a construction zone before overturning.
The victims were travelling on a Dutch-organised tour when the accident occurred.
According to the Associated Press, seven rescue helicopters and 13 ambulance crews were deployed to evacuate the injured.
Three of those hurt remained in serious condition in hospital as authorities began investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The accident occurred on a road through Switzerland’s mountainous Graubünden region, an area known for Alpine tourism.
Images from the crash scene showed emergency workers operating around the overturned vehicle, with rescue teams using power tools to cut into the bus as they attempted to reach passengers trapped inside.
Police said no other vehicles were believed to have been involved, and investigators are now working to establish what caused the bus to leave the roadway and hit the barrier.
The precise cause had not been established by Friday, and authorities had not publicly identified a specific mechanical, weather or driver-related factor.
The bus was carrying 45 people, meaning virtually everyone aboard was affected by the accident.
Swiss authorities have not yet released the identities of all the victims, pending notification of relatives.
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The Dutch travel agency Oad, which was associated with the trip, expressed shock over the accident.
According to AP, the company said it was “deeply shocked and devastated by the tragic bus accident” and extended its thoughts to those involved and their families.
The tragedy has also drawn a response from Swiss and Dutch authorities.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin said the authorities would ensure a “comprehensive and thorough investigation” into what happened.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima also expressed condolences to the victims’ families and those injured.
The crash has drawn attention to the particular challenges associated with road travel in the Alpine region, where steep terrain, narrow roads and construction zones can complicate driving conditions.
However, authorities have not indicated that the mountainous environment itself caused the crash.
Investigators are expected to examine the condition of the road, the construction arrangements, the vehicle and the driver’s actions as part of the inquiry.
The fact that no other vehicle was involved could make the investigation focus particularly closely on the bus itself and the circumstances immediately before it struck the barrier.
According to German news agency DPA, police reported that, in addition to the five fatalities, three people suffered serious injuries, seven were moderately injured and 30 sustained minor injuries.
Emergency services worked through the aftermath as authorities secured the crash site and transported victims to hospitals.
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The accident is among the latest serious road tragedies involving tourist groups in Europe and is likely to raise questions about passenger safety on long-distance coach journeys.
For families of those involved, however, the immediate concern remains the condition of the injured and confirmation of the identities of those who died.
The Dutch government and Swiss authorities are expected to continue coordinating as investigators establish the circumstances of the crash.
Officials have so far avoided speculation about what caused the accident.
That approach is likely to continue until investigators examine the vehicle and roadway and gather testimony from survivors and witnesses.
The crash also demonstrates how quickly a routine tourist journey can turn into a mass-casualty emergency.
The scale of the response, including seven helicopters and 13 ambulance crews, reflected the seriousness of the incident and the difficult terrain in which the rescue operation took place.
Three injured passengers remained in serious condition at the time of the latest reports, meaning the final human toll could still change depending on their condition.
For now, Swiss authorities are treating the incident as an accident under investigation rather than attributing blame.
The focus will be on determining why the bus struck the barrier and overturned, whether any safety factors contributed to the crash and whether lessons can be drawn to prevent similar incidents.
As investigators begin that work, the tragedy has left families in both the Netherlands and Switzerland waiting for answers after a journey through the Alps ended in one of the region’s most serious recent tourist-bus accidents.
