12 killed in tourist coach crash

At least 12 people have been killed after a Swiss tourist bus left the road and plummeted into a ravine yesterday. The Guardian reports that 14 people were thrown clear of the bus when it left the road near the Great St Bernard Pass, in the west of the country near the border with France and Italy. The bus is reported to have rolled several times after breaking through a safety barrier. It then fell into a ravine and came to rest some 250 metres below the road. According to The Guardian, some 160 people took part in the rescue operation, including mountain guides and climbers. The newspaper states that the coach was en route to Savona, northern Italy, where the passengers were due to board a cruise ship. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd www.newsfromabroad.com