5 dead and 40 injured as Dutch tour coach overturns in Swiss roadworks
A coach carrying 45 Dutch adults on an Oad holiday left the road in a roadworks section between Zernez and Susch and overturned. 5 died, 3 are seriously injured. Police say no other vehicle was involved.
5 people died and 40 were injured when a Dutch tour coach left the road and overturned in the Engadin valley in eastern Switzerland on Thursday afternoon, the cantonal police of Graubünden said on Friday morning. 3 of the injured are in a serious condition.
The coach was travelling from Zernez towards Susch at 16:45 when, at a spot called Less, it left the carriageway in a section of roadworks and tipped over. Police describe it as a single-vehicle accident: no other car was involved. 45 adults were on board.
What is known about the passengers
Of the 45, 5 died at the scene or shortly after. 3 were seriously hurt, 7 moderately and 30 lightly. All of the injured were taken to hospitals across the region by 7 rescue helicopters, from Rega, Alpine Air Ambulance and Heli Austria, and 13 ambulance crews. Police said on Friday that the dead had not yet been formally identified.
The coach belonged to a touring company from Eibergen in the Achterhoek and was carrying a group on a holiday sold by the Dutch travel organisation Oad. The Swiss police assume most, if not all, of those on board were Dutch. The Dutch ambassador to Switzerland travelled to Susch on Thursday evening with a consular team to work with the local authorities and support the passengers and their families.
The road and the roadworks
The stretch between Zernez and Susch is part of the main road through the Lower Engadin, a valley route that climbs towards the Austrian border. At the point of the accident the road was narrowed for works. What caused the coach to leave the carriageway is not yet established. The public prosecutor’s office of Graubünden and the cantonal police have opened an investigation.
The rescue operation drew in the fire brigade, ambulance services, forensic medical staff, border guards and community care teams. A hotline has been opened by the Swiss authorities for relatives on 081 256 56 56.
Relatives in the Netherlands who cannot reach a family member on the trip can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on +31 247 247 247, which is staffed around the clock.
