Monday, 17 October 2016 - 10:05
Dutch PM wants new investigation into 2012 bus disaster
Prime Minister Mark Rutte wants to reopen the investigation into a bus accident in Sierre, Swizerland in 2012. A total of 22 children and six adults were killed when the bus crashed into the wall of a tunnel, NOS reports.
Rutte will soon ask Switzerland for its cooperation in a further investigation, according to the broadcaster. Relatives of the victims sent a letter to Rutte and the Belgian Prime Minister to ask that the case be reopened. Six of the victims were Dutch.
The Swiss authorities ruled the disaster an accident, saying that the bus driver lost control over the vehicle. The victims' relatives doubt this. They believe the bus driver crashed into the wall deliberately because he was depressed.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs will request that Switzerland send them blood samples taken from the driver, according to Rutte. The relatives hope that this will reveal whether the driver was driving under the influence at the time of the accident. A spokesperson for the ministry told NOS that they want to help the Dutch parents. "We will try to clarify the situation. There is no guarantee that it will work, but we will doe our best."