How awful!! I have no words...leaving this world soo young..and in such a tragic accident like this, is just soo unfair. Ohh those parents and family members left behind..I cannot imagine what they are going through...the worst is they do not even know if there kids survived or not...RIP..

Very, very tragically sad, the parents must be going through hell.

The updated article says: Swiss crash scene investigators told Belgium's Le Soir newspaper: 'The coach was travelling at very high speed. It was going considerably faster than the speed limit on a stretch of road where the speed is limited to 100kmh.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...zens-hurt.html

Very sad day for all those involved and their families...

I would like to add my words and thoughts of condolance already posted.

I'm currently sitting in my office only a few hundred metres from the crash site. Several of my colleagues have friends and family that work in the emergency services here in Sierre that dealt with the aftermath of the tragedy.

Stop the world I want to get off.......

The most recent press conference disputes this (on TV a few moments ago). At the interview they described using CCTV footage to discern the vehicle's speed.

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16188330

(FWIW, Le Soir has a habit of jumping the gun...)

No way a coach can be "considerably faster" than 100 km/h. 110... maybe but that's it.

They're usually limited to 100 km/h

So tragic, and only a few weeks after the bus crashed carrying british kids home from a ski trip in Italy too. Too many young lives lost.

Firstly, God bless and comfort all those caught up in this unimaginable tragedy, my heart goes out to the families involved.

As a teacher who has led dozens of school trips in the past, this kind of event is beyond your worst nightmare. Teachers today do so much to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in their care but sometimes no matter how careful and diligent you are devastating accidents can and do happen.

In this case however I do happen to agree with the posts calling into question the design of the tunnel - how can you have a 90 degree wall facing oncoming traffic and not expect a disaster like this to happen sooner or later? What were the designers thinking? I can only hope there is a full inquiry that investigates and takes action to ensure that this kind of calamity does not happen again.

RIP all the victims of this horrible disaster and like millions across the world tonight, I am praying for the families involved. God bless you all.

This is so tragic. My heart feels like it's breaking to imagine what it must be like to get this horrible news and never see your daughter or son again. What a tragic experience for all the families and friends.

Indeed, but as well to all those survivors. This is something they will never ever forget. I did not forget the day when one of my guest schoolfriends at age 9 perished under the wheels of a truck (well, survived but died 10 days later in hospital). And that was just a single person ! No comparison to the absolutely unbelievable shock those poor children (I mean the survivors) have now suffered !

I don't know if they are all automatically limited and blocked. By engine and hp they can be faster. Also considerably much faster.

However, don't think this one did as the deformation does seem more or less that one of crash tests at a speed of 50 km/h "only" (which is deadly for quite all passengers of the first third, also with fastened seat belts).

The reality is: Terrible accident, sad story.

While it looks as if the bus was over the speed limit, it does not explain WHY it happened. The bus was ok, the road was ok, so what

All afternoon, the Belgium Premier Elio di Rupo and the Swiss Federal President Mrs Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf were "on the road" in what they later may see as possibly the worst day of their career. Successful politicians either hope for or are used to have influence, but here, they both had none at all

And even if they find out WHY the driver ...... it does not change much.

When driving take a look the next time at the tunnels' emergency stopping places, all the one's I know are exactly like this one. It won't take much to fill in the corners with concrete. All the kids were belted, the impact force broke the seat anchorage floor fixings!

My theory is the driver became ill and drifted left, hitting the curb. The second reserve driver steered the coach to the right, but then over corrected.

All trucks and coaches carry a speed recorder, but it might have been destroyed in the crash.

This is just awful. Saw the pics in the rag during the morning commute. I could never be a first responder, I'd have a psychological breakdown.

Sometimes the world can be pretty shitty.

Beyond all the details the tragedy remains and it is not going to stop after the investigation is over and the last survivor is out of the hospital...it is going to be huge and it is going to affect on the short and on the long run. A new updated article on swissinfo.ch says that even the rescuers have a hard time dealing with what they saw because the victims were children. It was almost 30 years ago when a friend I was playing with was blown away right in front of me by a police car with a drunk policeman and I still remember every detail...like it was said: and this is one person. It is beyond sadness for me...

Also it seems that early indications have ruled out speeding...based on the video cameras...but even watching the video would make you cry knowing that a bunch of happy kids you see...are gone in a tragic way...

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_ne...l?cid=32295732

The designers were thinking that the angled steel safety rail in front of the wall would suffice - but apparently it didn't.

Firstly, my thoughts are with the families of all those touched by this tragedy. I'm sure whole communities will be reeling in Belgium, with so many young ones taken from the same villages it is truly devastating.

There will be plenty of time for recriminations. I think most of us react with the questions "how did this happen? only 25 minutes into the journey? was the driver speeding? was he tired? why was the tunnel designed this way? ....." We need something to hang our emotions on, sadness, blame, anger.......

For now, let's be thankful some survived and send our thoughts to all touched. Those in the crash, those who helped at the scene, those at the hospitals after and those who will continue to help for the years to come.

First of all my thoughts to all those affected by this terrible tragedy Parents, friends, emergency workers etc.

Channel 4 news (UK) last night reported that the bus had not been speeding, was ultra modern & had passed the Belgian MFK in October.
I'm also not sure I understand the eagerness to blame the tunnel designers - Swiss motorways are up their with the most modern & safe on the planet.
Tbh, it looks like this was a lottery probabilities impact - from the diagrams & graphical reconstructions I've seen, it seems that if whatever happened to the bus (my theory is a front right blow out) had happened a few metres short or after where it did, then the bus would have bounced off walls either side of the bay & most would have gotten off with bumps & bruises.

Alas, it is all speculation until the investigation is complete.

Dreadful business