Five dead and 40 injured after Dutch tour bus overturns in Switzerland

Emergency response and casualties

A Dutch tour bus carrying 48 passengers and a driver crashed in eastern Switzerland on Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring 40 others. The accident occurred around 16:45 on the Engadinerstrasse between the towns of Zernez and Susch in the canton of Graubünden. Kantonspolizei Graubünden confirmed the casualty figures on Friday morning after officers completed notifications to the victims' families. Among the 40 injured, three people sustained serious injuries, while seven suffered moderate injuries.

Emergency teams, including municipal fire crews, ambulances, and five rescue helicopters, deployed to the mountain road immediately following the collision. Several injured passengers were transported to Swiss regional hospitals for medical treatment. Recovery operations and forensic investigations continued throughout Thursday night, temporarily closing the Engadinerstrasse before the vehicle was recovered and the route reopened on Friday morning.

Crash dynamics and road conditions

The coach was owned by Dutch transport company Hartemink from Eibergen and operated on behalf of Dutch tour agency Oad. The group had departed the Netherlands on Monday for a multi-day holiday based in Austria and was conducting a day excursion to Switzerland at the time of the crash. Swiss police noted that no other vehicles were involved in the incident, which occurred along a section of roadway undergoing maintenance where traffic was restricted to a single lane.

Police reported that the bus struck a guardrail before leaving the roadway and overturning several meters down a slope into the roadside verge. The branch organisation for Dutch travel agencies, ANVR, stated that the driver attempted to avoid an obstacle on the roadway before losing control.

The bus driver had to make an evasive maneuver, possibly because of a boulder on the road. And during that evasive maneuver, the bus ended up on its side and slid down as a result.

Official reactions and consular support

Swiss authorities and Dutch consular officials launched immediate support operations on Friday. Dutch emergency assistance organization Eurocross dispatched a two-person German-speaking triage team to Graubünden to coordinate local patient care and manage transport logistics. The Dutch ambassador to Switzerland traveled to the crash site to establish direct contact with cantonal authorities and oversee consular assistance.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin offered condolences to the families affected by the crash and thanked emergency personnel for their overnight operations.

My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. I extend my sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.

Investigation and family assistance

Cantonal investigators are conducting an inquiry to determine the exact sequence of events leading to the crash, including road surface conditions and physical traces at the scene. Graubünden police requested that the bus driver, who did not sustain injuries requiring hospitalization, withhold formal public statements while official inquiries proceed.

The local authorities are currently fully engaged in providing assistance and determining the situation and the number of victims. As soon as there is more clarity, we will naturally inform and assist the family members of the travelers involved as quickly as possible.

Authorities established support lines for relatives in both countries. Graubünden police opened a dedicated helpline at +41 81 256 56 56, while Eurocross activated a Dutch hotline at 071-364 1841. Cantonal officials also set up an undisclosed reception center to provide psychological and practical support to surviving passengers and visiting family members.