22 children dead in Swiss tunnel crash

[Philtaz]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...world-europe-17362643

Along with 6 adults. Belgians returning home.

Horrendous.

Obviously something needs looking at that a structure in a tunnel can bring a vehicle to an abrupt stop, but such matters are unfortunately only dealt with after a tragedy.

[Philtaz]

Apologies, meant to post in News.

[albaqwerty]

It has been reported that the bus, on entering the tunnel, clipped a kerb and went head-first into a wall.
Terrible for all concerned.

[ummmm]

How sad :-(

[rockyracoon]

How awful, you send your children on holiday and they don't come home :(

[EDDIE51]

Nothing to do with the tunnel clear driver error, he hit the barrier then bounced off in to the wall.

[Philtaz]

One feels for the emergency services. Though they're highly trained and learn to deal with such incidents, when it's children involved and in this case so many one really does wonder how they cope.

It's just horrific for all concerned.

[DTCwordfan]

Not sleep starvation either, the driver was only 25 minutes into his shift, cause still unknown and it took ages to get them out of the bus, presuming it was that mangled.

Poor families, the Belgian Army is currently flying them over to Switzerland.

[dotty.]

Don't, accidents like this seem to happen each year, my Grandson is going to Valencia with the school on 28th March for a week, they're going on a sports exchange linked to the Football Stadium, he's only 13 and it's quite hard to think of him so far away with none of us with him. The parents will be emotionally destroyed, it's tragic.

[Philtaz]

EDDIE51,

I think I'll await the findings from the resultant inquiry before blaming the driver as wholly at fault. One would surmise that the tunnel design must play a part somewhere though if the story claims the bus hit a wall head on.

[DTCwordfan]

You do cope, Phil (Mt Rescue in the past here)...its what you are trained for, the emotion and horror comes afterwards once its all over, often delayed as to the shock that you have incurred, and that's where the counsellors are brought in to help them through it.......this one will be particularly horrible. Seadogg was/is RNLI so his perspective will be interesting too.

[Philtaz]

Yes you do cope DT. I've seen incidents and death during time in the Forces and see death irregularly in work but the death of children is always the hardest to deal with. It is thankfully a very rare occurrence the sight greeting those first on the scene here doesn't bear thinking about.

[joggerjayne]

Awful, awful, awful ...

Phil, you're right. I've driven through that tunnel a few times. It's not far from Crans Montana. There's something just not right about it. You can see in one of the pictures on that link, the exit from the emergency tunnel just ends in a flat, concrete wall, facing the traffic, and there's no barrier to keep traffic from colliding with it - which is what is presently being suggested happened here.

[TWR]

My thoughts are with the parents of all the children involved in this accidents.

[Philtaz]

Thanks for the info jj. Yes, it's reasonable to assume that an angled barrier would have been in situ or something similar to those large water butts that they use in the US.

As ever though such failings and recommendations only ever come to light after the tragic event, never prior.

Ab Editor, any chance you could move this to News? I'm uncomfortable that it ended up in Chatterbank, which somehow trivialises the tragedy.

[mrsweasley]

Very sad, in itself, my thoughts are with the parents

[missnemesis]

Doesn't bear thinking about. Certainly puts other 'problems' into perspective I think.

[joggerjayne]

Don't worry, Phil ...

I don't think anyone will think that that it's been trivialised.

Surely CB can cover anything that people might "chat" about - say at a dinner party, or something. That would include terrible things that you see in the News.

There's going to be a bit of overlap.

[wendilla]

R.I. P for these children and the others along with them. My grandson is 13 and going on a ski trip to Italy end of the month with the school and coach all the way. It will be a worrying time till he comes back. I myself don't agree with these trips abroad for children .There are plenty activity centres in this country they can go to.

[Ann]

Absolutely awful news for the poor families - how sad.
Wendilla - posted reply to you in your last ISS post.

[Philtaz]

Thanks for the sentiments jj.