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VALAIS

Nine Dutch children were in coach crash: ministry

Nine Dutch children were in the coach crash in Switzerland that killed 28 passengers, 22 of them children, said a statement Wednesday from the Dutch foreign ministry.

Published: 14 March 2012 13:38 CET
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst

Eight of the children lived in Belgium while the ninth was based in the Netherlands near the border with Belgium, said ministry spokesman Aad Meijer.

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Dutch news agency ANP he hoped all the victims would be quickly identified to put an end to the uncertainty, he added.

“For all those concerned, it is an unimaginable drama,” said Rutte, speaking before the presence of Dutch children had been confirmed.

“In the first place for the children who were on the bus, and for their parents.

“Our thoughts are with them,” he said, adding that he had sent heartfelt condolences to Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.

The accident happened on Tuesday evening when one of three coaches taking the school party back to Belgium from a skiing holiday crashed into a concrete wall while travelling through a tunnel in southern Switzerland.

Another 24 children were reported injured in the crash, most of them with life-threatening injuries, said Jean-Pierre Dellars medical director of the emergency services in the region.

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AVALANCHE

Weather warning: Part of Swiss Alps placed on high avalanche alert

Due to the heavy snowfall in recent days and more expected until the weekend, an avalanche warning is issued for Switzerland’s southern canton of Valais.

Published: 29 January 2021 10:06 CET
Weather warning: Part of Swiss Alps placed on high avalanche alert
Avalanche warnings should be taken very seriously. Photo by AFP

Valais authorities said the current avalanche risk level is between 4 and 5, meaning ‘high’ to ‘extreme’.

The population is urged to stay at home. When out, they should obey the signs and especially stay away from the avalanche corridors, officials warned.
 

Significant amounts of snow have fallen in the area in recent days, dumping 1 metre of snow above the altitude of 2,000 metres in the upper part of the canton. Between 30 and 40 centimetres are still expected. 

The highest risk of avalanches is in the Goms valley, the Zermatt valley, as well as the entire right bank of the Rhône. 

Some particularly threatened areas could even be evacuated, authorities said.

People planning to go skiing in Valais over the next few days should check snow conditions and avalanche warnings in place, especially as many roads, mainly in Upper Valais, are cut off, and a number of villages in the Goms Valley, Lötschental and the Zermatt region are no longer accessible by road or train. 

The Avalanche Bulletin is a good source of information not just for Valais, but for all of Switzerland’s mountain regions.

READ MORE: Is the pandemic to blame for Switzerland's spate of avalanche deaths? 

Avalanches have been particularly deadly in Switzerland this winter, having claimed 14 lives so far — well above the average yearly figure of eight people.

Avalanches have caused casualties in the mountains of Valais, Vaud, Graubünden, Obwalden and Schwyz. 

With many people concerned about the potential for contracting coronavirus on the slopes, the idea of skiing off piste has become more attractive. 

But this practice can trigger massive avalanches, so it is crucial to stay away from unsecured slopes.

READ MORE: Large crowds on Swiss ski slopes spark concern over coronavirus spread 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 

 

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