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Original poster

Belgian Coach crash in Switzerland - 28 killed.

93 replies

Portofino · 14/03/2012 09:53

Here. My thoughts and prayers are with the poor, poor familes of those killed and injured. The villages aren't that far from where I live. Such a tradegy! Sad

These classes de neige are part of the Belgian national curriculum - all Year 6 children go - the idea that something like this can happen.....

OP posts:
suburbophobe · 14/03/2012 10:51

Awful, just awful. I was in shock when I read it....

Yes, thoughts and prayers to all those affected.

RoxyRobin · 14/03/2012 10:57

It makes you realise how fragile life is.

Their poor parents.

Rillyrillygoodlooking · 14/03/2012 11:03

Bloody hell. Sad

Original poster
Portofino · 14/03/2012 11:35

I haven't got this out of my head all morning. I switched the radio off in the car this morning, not wanting dd (8) to hear such news - when she knows full well she will do this trip in the future. I hope to God her teacher doesn't have the radio on in class today...

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AncientsOfMuMu · 14/03/2012 12:01

I've just seen some pictures of the coach being towed away and I'm sat here in shock (and tears).

My Ds is skiing this week in France and I'm counting the days until he is home. I can't begin to imagine what their poor families are going through. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

EricBloodaxe · 14/03/2012 12:18

Yes - such a sad day today. My whole office is very distressed (I work in Brussels) and it was heartbreaking to see one of my best friends, a 50year old man, with tears running down his face as we talked about it. Thank God my DS has done his class de niege - but still, it is every parent's worst nightmare.

BellaOfTheBalls · 14/03/2012 13:20

I've been crying my eyes out at the 1 o'clock news. Can you imagine having to fly to another country to find out of your child is dead or alive? Those poor poor parents.

I'm crying again....

teejwood · 14/03/2012 13:27

like all of you, my thoughts are with the parents/friends/relatives of everyone on that coach. hope those who are still alive make a good mental and physical recovery.

PfftTheMagicDraco · 14/03/2012 13:32

It seems so often that we hear of coaches of school children abroad crashing - not just British coaches, but those from other countries abroad as well.

Is this actually the case, or are they just reported more often than other incidents? It seems so worrying - is it the case that drivers are not allowed to sleep enough?

Sidge · 14/03/2012 13:42

The pictures are just shocking. Such devastation Sad

My heart goes out to all those involved.

BellaOfTheBalls · 14/03/2012 13:49

Pfft it appears not, well not in this case anyway. The bus had only set off 25 minutes before so news is reporting that the drivers were well rested.

Original poster
Portofino · 14/03/2012 14:07

The pictures on the Le Soir website in Belgium are dreadful. It appears that most of the children were from one school - plus 2 teachers. The dcs from the other school were mainly at the rear.

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SuiGeneris · 14/03/2012 14:16

Beyond terrible. I saw it this morning and keep thinking about it. I know the area very well and it is difficult to understand how it could have happened: the road is new, straight, well-lit, well maintained, they had only just left... And now pretty much everyone in the bus is either dead or seriously injured.

Pfft: I am with you: why do all these trips use coaches for very long trips when the public transport system is reliable and safer? Belgium to Sion is easily done by high-speed train and thn you hire a bus for the last 30km or so. Trips from Britain could use planes...

PfftTheMagicDraco · 14/03/2012 14:20

Sui, I don't know if coach crashes ARE common, or if they are just reported a lot. But it seems that I read a lot of reports about school bus crashes. It's very sad. The damage looks terrible.

HortensiaBegeude · 14/03/2012 14:38

Sounds like the bus was speeding, so more like reckless or dangerous driving rather than an accident. Drivers are so complacent on the roads these days. Agree that decent train services are much safer.

littlewish · 14/03/2012 14:39

So sad. I heard on the radio this morning as a woke to my 7am radio alarm. I feel so terrible for the parents. I have an 11 year old son who was taking in his 1st payment for his own skiing trip into school today. It has made me cry. I gave my son an extra kiss this morning before school. he looked at me daft. (he didn't hear the news and I didn't know if I should tell him or not) My thoughts have been with the families all day, I just cannot imagine it.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 14/03/2012 16:12

Coach crashes aren't particularly common but, like trains and planes, when one crashes there are a lot of people on board. Modern coaches are very tall and, whilst stable in a straight line, they seem to flip easily if destabilised. Slamming straight into a tunnel wall at high speed when there are no other vehicles involved can only be explained by driver error or a serious mechanical failure.

Psammead · 14/03/2012 16:16

I just saw this. Utterly heartbreaking.

Seatbelts need to be universally required.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 14/03/2012 16:20

Seatbelts are mandatory already. Sadly, they cannot mitigate the effects on occupants of a bus crashing at high-speed into a concrete wall.

EdithWeston · 14/03/2012 16:23

I felt hollow when I heard about this, and my heart goes out to all the families affected - some of whim still do not know if their child was among the casualties.

As the crash occurred in Switzerland, I think we can be confident that the emergency services would have been excellent (and I salute those who work through an incident as terrible as this), and that investigations will be thorough.

Psammead · 14/03/2012 16:26

Yes, you are correct of course, Cogito.

I cannot imagine that speeding was a factor, not in Switzerland where there are huge penalties. Possibly it swerved to avoid another road user? Or the driver fell ill?

My heart goes out to those families. You don't expect this, do you? Sad

ripsishere · 14/03/2012 16:29

Hadn't seen this story till now. How bloody awful.
I think the reason that coaches are used rather than planes or trains is mainly cost.
Also, it's much harder to police children on a train, they might speak to somebody who isn't part of the school. Sounds ridiculous? a parent complained to DH about this possibility when he took a trip to Italy on the train.
RIP children and adults.

FourThousandHoles · 14/03/2012 16:34

It's just awful. I know the area fairly well, I've spent a lot of time near Sion, the next town up the valley. Just makes it seem more real to me. That bit of road is really well maintained and I don't think I ever saw a car speeding, never mind a coach. I can only think it was mechanical failure or the driver fell ill.

microcosmia · 14/03/2012 17:58

This is so, so sad. We should all hug our chidren even more tightly this evening.

Original poster
Portofino · 14/03/2012 18:04

Reading an "eyewitness" report in the Belgian news Sad - it seems as if the seats were ripped away - so I think seatbelts wouldn't have made a difference here.

There are also questions being asked as to why an official report (to authorities in Belgium) was not made til 5.45 am when the accident happened at 21.15. Apparently a parent called the head, and the local police.....

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