Helicopters Evacuate 40 Injured From Devastating Swiss Alps Dutch Tour Bus Crash

Five people were killed after a coach carrying Dutch tourists crashed in Switzerland’s eastern canton of Graubünden on Thursday afternoon, police said on Friday. The accident occurred in the mountainous region near Zernez, an entry point for visitors heading to the Swiss National Park.

According to a local police spokesman cited by Swiss media, the coach struck a safety barrier before overturning and plunging down an embankment. Emergency services responded to the crash, while authorities began investigating the circumstances that led to the accident.

The Dutch Federation of Travel Agencies (ANVR) told AFP that the coach was operated by Dutch tour company Oad and was carrying 48 passengers. All those travelling on the coach were from the Netherlands, according to the federation. A total of seven rescue helicopters and 13 ambulance crews rushed to the remote site to pull victims from the wreckage.

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The ANVR said the group had left the Netherlands on Monday and was travelling through Austria before making a day trip to Switzerland. The crash occurred during that Switzerland excursion, although further details about the victims and the cause of the accident were not immediately provided.

Zernez serves as an important access point for the Swiss National Park, a large Alpine nature reserve covering more than 100 square kilometres in the Engadine valley. The mountainous terrain and winding roads in the region attract tourists throughout the year, but can also present challenging driving conditions. Authorities are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.

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