Irish on ski trip feared dying in snow storm

FORTY-FIVE Irish ski tourists feared they would freeze to death trapped on a bus in snow blizzards for more than 16 hours as temperatures dipped to -5 degrees centigrade.

The tourists, some of them children, spent the night without food, water or toilet facilities, marooned short of their destination in Andorra.

The tourists flew from Cork to Toulouse and then embarked on a four-hour coach journey at 6pm on Sunday to the ski resort, Pas de la Casa.

They were trapped by heavy snowfall 5km from the ski resort.

One of the tourists, Paul O’Sullivan from Little Island in Cork, was accompanied by his wife Caroline and their two children.

“This is our first time on a skiing holiday and so far it has been absolutely horrific. The driver had to leave the engine running to keep us warm.

“If it had broken down, or the bus ran out of petrol we would all have frozen to death,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“The services here are pathetic. They left us for 16 hours on the bus without food or water. There were no toilet facilities either. It’s unreal, an absolute disgrace.”

Chris Barry, from Glanmire in Co Cork, said it was an emotionally draining experience for his wife and children.

“People have coped very well but they are upset. I have a seven-year-old girl and eight-year-old boy and it was very hard for them, it’s been chaotic,” he said.

“We have had no water or food, and to add insult to injury there is no strategic plan in place for emergencies.

“You expect some level of organisation at this level. It is a disgrace really.”

With the aid of snow-ploughs, all 45 Irish holiday-makers were removed from the scene and transported safely to Pas de la Casa last night.

Tour operator Panorama said emergency services were unable to reach the trapped holiday-makers until lunchtime yesterday due to the adverse conditions.

The Panorama bus from Toulouse to Pas de la Casa got into difficulty between 9pm and 10pm and was left stranded at the side of the road due to heavy snow.

Meanwhile, a second coach carrying 30 British tourists from First Choice Holidays was also blocking the road, having broken down.

The British holiday-makers were invited onto the Panorama bus as the doors of their vehicle would not close and they had no heating.

Panorama director Niall McDonnell confirmed that the group would be reimbursed for the lost portion of their holiday, and he apologised for the “severe discomfort” caused to passengers.