Three Israeli citizens were killed and five seriously injured after the minibus they were traveling in was hit by a train in central Switzerland, police said today.
The crash occurred near the town of Wolfenschiessen, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Zurich, Nidwalden cantonal (state) police said in a statement. Nobody in the train was hurt.
Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported that the minibus, with four men and four women on board, was driving alongside the train when it took a right turn at a rail crossing. The rail crossing had a warning light but no barrier.
Swiss transportation workers union SEV said the crash could have been prevented, noting that there had been a similar accident at the crossing just two weeks earlier.
Swiss rail company SBB, a majority stakeholder in the company that operates trains on the picturesque Alpine route, said the crossing was scheduled to be upgraded by the end of 2015.
"We are deeply shaken and dismayed by this tragic accident," SBB chief executive Andreas Meyer said in a statement. "We extend our condolences to everyone affected.
