Coach cliff drama avoided in Carinthia

More than a dozen passengers had a narrow escape when a coach was at risk of plunging down a descent and into a river yesterday (Mon).The 52-year-old driver of the vehicle came off the bendy mountain pass road in the Carinthian district of Spittal an der Drau for unclear reasons. He told the 13 passengers to sit down on the right-hand side to keep the coach from falling down to the left.Fire fighters reached the scene within minutes after another motorist informed them about what had happened. They secured the vehicle to allow its passengers and the driver to get out. None of them were injured.Investigators are currently examining the coach to find out whether a technical failure was to blame for the incident. Police did not say whether the driver admitted to speeding. A breathalyser test showed that he was not driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.