A tourist coach has crashed in the south-eastern Swiss Alps, leaving several people dead and several injured, local police say. The bus overturned between Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden - also known as Grisons - region late on Thursday afternoon. Because nothing says 'alpine getaway' quite like a narrow country road and a overturned bus.

A large team of rescuers equipped with several helicopters was deployed to the scene. Some 48 Dutch passengers were on board the bus, according to a spokeswoman for the General Dutch Association of Travel Companies on behalf of tour operator OAD. The spokesperson told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf they could not yet say how many people had been killed or injured. So, to recap: 48 people, several dead, several injured, and the official count still pending.

Images on Swiss news sites show a coach lying on its side beside a narrow country road on which stand numerous ambulances while groups of rescuers work at the scene. The coach reportedly left the Netherlands on Monday and was on a day trip to Switzerland from Austria when the crash happened. A day trip that will now be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

In a post on X, Swiss President Guy Parmelin said he was 'deeply shocked' by the incident and offered his 'sincere condolences' to the families of the victims. Parmelin said there will be a 'comprehensive' investigation into what happened. Because 'thoughts and prayers' are nice, but a thorough investigation is nicer.

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. It's a beautiful area, known for its hiking trails and wildlife, not for being the site of a fatal bus crash.