Five people were killed and dozens injured when a Dutch tourist bus crashed in the Swiss Alps late Thursday, according to police. The accident occurred on the road between Susch and the nearby village of Zernez in the Graubünden region, where the bus collided with a guardrail around 4:45 p.m. local time (1445 UTC), according to Swiss broadcaster SRF.

Rescue operations and casualties

Swiss police confirmed that the deceased had not yet been identified. They added that the other 40 people on board the coach—whose injuries ranged from serious to minor,had been transported to hospitals by rescue helicopters and ambulance crews, according to BBC. The BBC also reported that three people were seriously injured in the incident.

Multiple helicopters were deployed as part of the rescue operations, with seven helicopters from both Switzerland and Austria involved, alongside fire departments and the Plaiv road rescue service, according to the BBC. Dutch media reported that the bus was carrying tourists from the Netherlands, and 48 people were aboard, although this number has not been confirmed by police, according to DW.com.

Timeline and background

The coach reportedly left the Netherlands on Monday and was on a day trip to Switzerland from Austria when the crash happened, according to the BBC. Dutch media reported that the passengers were Dutch customers of OAD, a Dutch tour operator. A spokeswoman for the Dutch travel association ANVR told the newspaper De Telegraaf that they could not yet say how many people had been killed or injured.

Police have not yet shared details on what could have caused the crash. The Graubünden public prosecutor’s office is working with the cantonal police to clarify the circumstances that led to the coach accident, according to a police statement cited by DW.com. Initial reports indicate the coach hit a guardrail and veered off the road, overturned, and came to rest on its side, according to Germany’s DPA news agency.

Reactions and condolences

Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed his condolences in a post on X. He said he was “deeply shocked and dismayed” by the incident and offered his “sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” according to DW.com. He added that the relevant Swiss authorities will ensure a thorough and thorough investigation is carried out to establish all the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said his thoughts were with everyone involved, and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima said their hearts went out to everyone affected by “this great tragedy,” according to the BBC. Zernez is the entry point for visitors to the Swiss National Park, a vast Alpine reserve stretching more than 100 sq km (40 sq miles) across the mountainous Engadine valley, according to the BBC.