SUSCH, SWITZERLAND (AP) — Five people were killed and 40 others injured after a Dutch tour bus crashed into a roadside barrier and overturned in eastern Switzerland, police said.

The bus was carrying 45 people when it crashed Thursday afternoon in a construction zone between the villages of Susch and Zernez in the Alpine canton of Graubuenden.

Seven rescue helicopters and 13 ambulance crews responded to the scene as emergency teams worked to evacuate the victims. Three of those injured remained in serious condition in hospital, according to authorities.

Images from the crash site showed emergency workers in fluorescent protective clothing using power saws to cut into the overturned bus during the overnight rescue operation. Cranes were also used to recover the vehicle from a grassy embankment.

Police and prosecutors were investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. Authorities said no other vehicles were believed to have been involved.

Oad, the travel agency behind the tour, said it was “deeply shocked and devastated by the tragic bus accident” and expressed sympathy for those injured and for the families and loved ones affected.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin said authorities would conduct a “comprehensive and thorough investigation” into the accident.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima also expressed their condolences, saying their thoughts were with the families of those who died, people worried about injured loved ones and those receiving medical treatment.

The crash occurred in the mountainous region of Graubuenden, where emergency crews faced the difficult task of removing passengers from the overturned coach after the accident.

SOURCE: Associated Press, September 11, 2026.