At least 26 people died and many others were injured, when a coach carrying Polish pilgrims plunged into a ravine in the French Alps.

The coach crashed through a barrier as it was descending a steep road. Skid marks on a long stretch of tarmac suggest that the brakes failed.

It fell 15m (50ft) and burst into flames on impact. Emergency officials say most of the victims perished in the fire.

Large numbers of rescue workers were at the scene and the injured were transported to the nearby city of Grenoble for medical treatment.

Investigators will want to know whether the Polish coach was fitted with the electronic braking system compulsory for excursions into the mountains.