Five Dead After Coach Carrying Dutch Tourists Overturns in Switzerland

A holiday trip in Switzerland has ended in tragedy after a coach carrying 45 Dutch adults overturned in the eastern part of the country, killing five people and injuring the remaining passengers.

The crash occurred on Thursday afternoon on the road linking Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region. Police said the vehicle went off the roadway while passing through an area where construction work was taking place before overturning.

Three of those injured are in serious condition, while another 37 people sustained less severe injuries. The driver, who is also Dutch, survived the crash but was among those taken for medical treatment.

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Authorities have begun investigating the incident and are working to establish what caused the coach to leave the road.

Tour operator Oad said the company was devastated by the deaths and described the incident as a deeply shocking tragedy.

The crash took place close to Zernez, a popular gateway to Switzerland’s National Park, a large Alpine nature reserve in the Engadine valley.

Five Dead After Coach Carrying Dutch Tourists Overturns in Switzerland

Delegates from 166 member countries of the United Nations (UN) World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) are billed to participate in its 2022 conference scheduled to hold in Lagos between November 14 and 16.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known on Saturday in Lagos.

National tourism and culture organisations, international organisations, destination management organisations and stakeholders from the public and private sectors are expected at the conference.

Also expected to participate are civil society organisations working on tourism, cultural and creative industries and the media.

Mohammed told a news conference that delegates would include the UNWTO top executives, officials and experts led by the secretary-general, ministers and officials of tourism, culture and arts ministries of member states.

There would be two parallel experts’ workshops, a seminar on tourism and the creative industry and a conference on linking tourism, culture and the creative industry.

The minister noted that there would also be exhibitions on gastronomy, fashion, movie, music, visual arts and more, as well as a special programme on the creative industry tagged “A Day with Nollywood.’’

“According to the UNWTO, tourism is an activity in which the visitors’ essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible and intangible attractions and products in a destination.

“It has positive socio-economic impact, preserves cultural, historical heritage and facilitates harmony and understanding among people.

“The organisation described the creative industry, which includes advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, design, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, and publishing, as the lifeblood of the creative economy.

“It says it is also a growth driver for sustainable development,’’ the minister said. (NAN)

The federal government says it is investigating reports of corrupt airport officials who take bribes from travellers and help them evade COVID-19 quarantine requirements.

Speaking on Monday during the national briefing of the presidential steering committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), said the government has taken note of the challenges facing travellers with regards to COVID-19 requirements.

There have been recent reports of corrupt airport officials who help passengers travelling of the country evade COVID-19 test and also procure fake vaccine cards for the travellers.

In December,  undercover investigation at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, had exposed how government officials forged COVID-19 test results in exchange for bribes.

“The PSC has taken note of the challenges raised by travelers that visit the National International Travel Portal in compliance with travel protocols,” Mustapha said.

“It has similarly noted with dismay, fraudulent activities perpetuated at our international airports by on-duty staff, who extort money out of those who equally wish to evade quarantine requirement. The authorities are conducting necessary investigation in to various reports received.

“Notable progress is still being made in the area of vaccine. Over 3.5m doses of Pfizer is being expected from the US Government this month while about 4m doses of Astrazeneca is being expected early next month. Nigeria will be receiving over 1m doses of J&J shipments on a monthly basis. The PSC is committed to access enough vaccines for the 70% eligible persons in the country in record time.”

Mustapha, who is also the chairman of the presidential steering committee on COVID-19, said there’s need for more caution among Nigerians despite the declining global COVID-19 cases.