August 16, 2026. A tragic accident involving tourist horse-drawn carriages occurred in the picturesque Upper Engadin valley in the canton of Graubünden. The incident, which took place on the descent from Val Roseg to Pontresina, resulted in the death of one person and injuries to 12 other tourists. A large-scale rescue operation involving helicopters and ambulance crews has been launched at the scene.
Chronology of the disaster: from brake failure to impact with a tree
According to preliminary data, the tragedy occurred while a group of 40 Swiss tourists was returning from an excursion. The transport was provided by two horse-drawn carriages. On the descent, the driver of one of the teams discovered a critical failure in the braking system. In an attempt to prevent an uncontrolled descent and reduce speed, the driver decided to steer the horses onto a flat section of the road.
However, the maneuver failed. One of the horses lost its balance and fell, which instantly caused the entire structure to lose stability. The carriage, consisting of the main coach and two passenger trailers, veered off the road and crashed into a tree at high speed. The impact was so strong that some passengers were thrown out of the trailers.
Operation "Engadin": emergency evacuation of the injured
The scale of the incident required the immediate deployment of rescue forces. Three helicopters and four ambulance crews were deployed to evacuate the injured from the difficult-to-access mountainous terrain. The situation was complicated by the presence of severe injuries among several passengers who had fallen from the broken trailers.
All the injured were urgently distributed to hospitals in the canton of Graubünden. Passengers who did not sustain physical injuries but witnessed the accident received medical and psychological assistance directly in Pontresina.
Investigation: prosecution and police determine the causes
Currently, Swiss law enforcement agencies are investigating all the circumstances and technical causes of the accident. The prosecution of the canton of Graubünden, together with the local police, has launched an official investigation. The focus of the investigators is the technical condition of the carriages and the actions of the driver at the critical moment.
Context: rise in accident rates in the European tourism sector
This tragedy in Switzerland fits into a worrying series of incidents related to tourist transport in Europe in 2026. Recently, a bus with Polish tourists overturned in Hungary, resulting in the deaths of 12 people and the hospitalization of dozens of injured. In addition, a resonant traffic accident occurred in Ukraine in the Rivne region, where a 16-year-old driver fatally struck a woman who was 37 weeks pregnant.
