5 killed, 40 injured as Dutch tour bus crashes in Switzerland's Alpine region | World News

At least five people died, and 40 have been injured after a bus crashed in a remote Alpine region of eastern Switzerland on Friday. According to reports, the vehicle involved in the crash was a Dutch tour bus with 48 people on board.Three of the injured are in a serious condition, seven had moderately serious injuries, and 30 were slightly injured, police said. Seven rescue helicopters and 13 ambulance crews took part in the rush to evacuate the victims, officials added. Swiss authorities have stated that the accident occurred near the village of Susch, between the communes of Susch and Zernez in the far-eastern canton of Graubunden.Zernez is the entry point for visitors to the Swiss national park, which is a vast Alpine reserve stretching more than 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) across the mountainous Engadine valley.Local authorities added that the coach hit a safety barrier before overturning and plunging down an embankment.The bus was carrying 48 passengers, all Dutch nationals, said a spokeswoman for the General Dutch Association of Travel Companies, acting as spokesperson for thetour operator OAD.A statement from OAD in Dutch also said that it was “deeply shocked and devastated by the tragic bus accident” and its thoughts were with those involved and their loved ones.The Dutch Foreign Ministry has also taken notice of the accident, and Swiss President Guy Parmelin vowed that Swiss authorities would ensure a “comprehensive and thorough investigation” of the case.(With inputs from AFP, Reuters)