Five people were killed and 40 injured in a bus crash near an alpine village in Switzerland, police said.

The accident happened on Thursday between the communes of Susch and Zernez in the far-eastern canton of Graubunden.

The coach hit a safety barrier before overturning and plunging down an embankment, a local police spokesman told Swiss media.

The Dutch Federation of Travel Agencies said the coach belonged to the tour company Oad and was carrying 48 passengers, all of them from the Netherlands.

According to the federation, the coach left the Netherlands on Monday and was on a day trip to Switzerland from Austria when the crash happened.

Footage broadcast by Swiss media showed many rescue workers rushing about around the coach and helicopters stationed nearby.

Oad said in a statement it was "deeply shocked and devastated by the tragic accident".

"Our thoughts are with everyone involved and their loved ones. Local authorities are currently fully engaged in relief efforts and in determining the situation and the number of casualties," it added.

"We are doing everything in our power to obtain clarity quickly and to support those involved and their families wherever possible."

Swiss President Guy Parmelin offered his condolences to the families of the victims, calling the crash a "tragic accident".

Zernez is the entry point for visitors to the Swiss national park, a vast Alpine reserve stretching more than 100 square kilometres across the mountainous Engadine valley. (AFP & Reuters)


Edited by Aaron Tam