More than 400,000 KitKat bars have been stolen from a truck in Europe, Nestlé confirmed.

A lorry carrying some 12 tons of the popular chocolate-covered wafer snack set out this week from the company’s factory in Perugia, central Italy.

It was loaded with a total of 413,793 bars from the brand’s latest official Formula One range.

The bars were supposed to be distributed across Europe with the delivery ending in Poland, but it never reached its destination after the truck was hijacked by thieves.

Both the lorry and its sweet contents remain unaccounted for and it is as of yet unknown where the vehicle was intercepted.

It said it was investigating the incident with authorities and supply chain partners.

The Switzerland-based confectioner said in a statement: ‘We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KITKAT – but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.

‘Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes.

‘With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend.’

While the bars could be sold through unofficial channels, they can be traced via their unique batch code.

Nestlé added that consumers, wholesalers and retailers would be able to check if they had purchased a stolen product.

Anyone who scans the number for a stolen batch of KitKats will be directed to instructions on how to contact the company.

It said that consumers should not attempt to track or locate the missing items, but hand any information to the company or local authorities.

It comes after a report from the International Union of Marine Insurance
(IUMI) and Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) found an alarming rise in cargo theft, with criminals turning to more sophisticated methods.

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Police are investigating whether a bus fire in a town west of the Swiss capital that killed at least six people was started deliberately.

Police spokesperson Frédéric Papaux of Fribourg canton, or region, said an unspecified “voluntary act” could have caused the fire Tuesday evening in the town of Kerzers, about 15 miles west of Bern.

Five people were also injured in the fire, which for locals echoed a New Year’s Eve fire in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana that killed 41 young people.

Christa Bielmann, representing the Fribourg police, told Swiss broadcaster SRF: “There is information circulating that a person poured flammable liquid over themselves on the bus and that this caused the fire. But this is part of the ongoing investigation and is being clarified.”

“It shocks and saddens me that once again people have lost their lives in a serious fire in Switzerland,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin wrote on X on Tuesday night. “The circumstances are being investigated. I offer my condolences to the families of those who died in Kerzers. And my thoughts are with the injured and the rescue workers.”

There were no indications that this was a terror attack, Martial Pugin, head of communications for the Fribourg cantonal police, told broadcaster RTS on Wednesday morning.

The regional transport bus is operated by PostBus, which is affiliated with the national postal service. Images from the scene on Swiss media showed flames tearing through the bus.

“We are deeply moved by this tragic news. Our thoughts are with the victims, the injured, and all their families,” PostBus said in a statement on its website.

“After rushing to the scene, rescue teams noted that the vehicle was totally engulfed in flames,” the regional government said in a statement.

Ambulance and helicopter teams ferried three people with severe injuries to hospitals, while two others were treated on site, police said.

Papaux said at least six people were killed.

Police said the identification of the victims could take several days.

The burned-out vehicle was removed during the night and traffic returned to normal as of Wednesday morning.

By OLIVIA CHRISTIE, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 17:14 EDT, 10 March 2026 | Updated: 17:38 EDT, 10 March 2026

Several people have been killed and more are injured after man reportedly doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire inside a bus, sparking a huge blaze. 

The horror unfolded in the town of Kerzers in western Switzerland, when a coach carrying passengers suddenly caught fire at around 6.25pm on Tuesday. 

Six people are so far believed to have died and at least five are wounded, police have said. 

‘Several people injured and several are dead,’ police said in a post on social media. 

‘Emergency services are currently on the scene. The cause is not yet known.’ 

Fire crews, police and medics rushed to tackle the blaze with photographs showing the vehicle having been completely gutted. 

The exact number of victims and the severity of the injuries are yet to be confirmed.

The rescue operation remains ongoing and police have asked the public to stay away from the area. 

Several people have been killed and more are injured after man reportedly doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire inside a bus, sparking a huge blaze

Photographs show the bus having been completely gutted by the flames 

The horror unfolded in the Swiss town of Kerzers, when a coach carrying passengers suddenly caught fire at around 6.25pm on Tuesday

Several people have died and more are injured following a huge bus fire in Switzerland

The blaze happened in Kerzers in Fribourg canton in western Switzerland, police said in a social media post

Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS reported that one person was airlifted away by helicopter. 

This is a breaking news story – more to follow  

By TARA ANSON-WALSH, FOOTBALL REPORTER

Published: 08:28 EST, 26 February 2026 | Updated: 09:58 EST, 26 February 2026

A former SCR Altach women’s football player has criticised a court’s decision to deliver a man a seven-month suspended prison sentence and fine him £1,046 (€1,200) after he secretly photographed and filmed players in changing rooms and showers.

The man, who is a former top-level Swiss referee, was accused of secretly recording the young women using a concealed smartphone and through a keyhole during his time as an official at the Austrian football club.

Around 30 players were identified on the recording and pictures. A report also stated that the youngest was born in 2007 and the oldest in 1995.

The man, who worked at the club between 2020 and 2025, was ordered to pay each victim £544 (€620).

The case is reported to have shaken football in Austria, with over 100 spectators attending the courtroom in Feldkirch, which is on the border with Switzerland. Although the defendant accepted the verdict, the public prosecutor is yet to decide whether she wants to apply for an appeal.

Eleni Rittmann, 25, who played for the top-flight Austrian team at the time, posted an outraged statement on social media.

Eleni Rittmann, 25, who played for the top-flight Austrian team at the time, posted an outraged statement on social media

‘This leaves me speechless,’ Rittmann, who was not one of the players identified on the seized recordings, said.

‘The perpetrator was not only a top-level referee in Switzerland but also an official at Altach. And that is where he filmed players, including minors. I then ask myself, is this an appropriate punishment?

‘I also ask myself, does such a punishment act as a deterrent for others? We felt secure in our dressing room and this hurt our privacy so badly that some of us do not feel safe in public showers even now. 

‘For me this is not a strong enough signal for something that is not tolerated in our society. The verdict is not final as the prosecutor has requested additional time to consider an appeal.’

During the trial, a statement from the victims was read out, saying: ‘We are young women, partly still young girls. What has happened has pulled the rug from under our feet. For years he told us that the dressing room was our home but this home was then destroyed by someone who we thought was part of this family.’

A lawyer for the victims called the case a ‘catastrophe for women’s football’. 

Austrian sports minister Michaela Schmidt labelled the alleged crimes ‘disgusting’ in October when they were first reported. ‘If female athletes are not even safe in their own dressing rooms because of an official then they have nothing to stand on,’ Schmidt said.

At the beginning of the question the defendant said: ‘I plead partially guilty.’

It remains unclear whether the images were disseminated. The defence lawyer said it had been established that the photos and videos had not been transferred to a third party and they now will be destroyed.

In his final words, the defendant addressed the victims to apologise. He said: ‘I agree with the statements made by my lawyer, but I would still like to express my sympathy to all those affected and apologise for my actions.’

The court mitigated the sentence by taking into account his partial confession and his lack of previous convictions.

SCR Altach told Daily Mail Sport that pre-trial they had hosted an information evening for potentially affected players – including parents where minors were involved – where they communicated the facts known about the case at the time. Players were put in touch with legal services, a psychologist, a victim protection organisation, internal club contacts and and the State Criminal Police Office.

Where players felt unsafe in their own apartments, the club organised alternative accommodation for them.

The club have also worked to increase the female presence within the support staff of the women’s team. A female assistant coach was integrated into the coaching team during the winter break, while a female point of contact within the administrative office to address players’ concerns was also designated.

Daily Mail Sport have contacted the Austrian FA for comment.

Tourists have been ordered to leave parts of the Italian and Swiss Alps after extreme snowfall and increasing avalanche risks forced authorities to evacuate villages and shut down entire areas.

In just hours, weather conditions in regions of northern Italy and Switzerland deteriorated so dramatically that emergency measures were introduced.

These included road closures and evacuations, as drifts several metres high buried Alpine communities.

Beginning on Monday, severe snowfall across Switzerland and parts of northern Italy has created mounting issues.

Regional media report that up to 40 centimetres of fresh snow has fallen, significantly increasing the danger of avalanches.

The second highest warning level is now in effect across the region, and heavy snowfall is forecast to continue today.

The situation is especially serious in Italy’s Piedmont region, leading the regional government to put out a municipal decree ordering the prompt evacuation of Rochemolles, a tourism dependent town, Bild reports.

An access ban was imposed at the same time, with all roads closed to both pedestrians and motorists, according to the Italian newspaper Il Dolomiti.

The Rochemolles section of Bardonecchia was evacuated due to heavy snowfall

An access ban was imposed on the Rochemolles section of Bardonecchia due to heavy snowfall

The village of Le Tour above Chamonix covered in feet of snow

Around 40 people, including both residents and tourists, were told to leave.

Some found their own accommodation, while others were placed in nearby hotels.

Andrea Vuolo, a meteorologist at Meteo Piemonte, warned of the growing threat.

He wrote on Facebook: ‘The area causing the greatest concern is the Gran Vallone, which bears strong similarities to the conditions that triggered the last major avalanche event in this area in 2018.’

During that event, an entire road was blocked. Because of its location, the high mountain valley in Piedmont is particularly vulnerable to heavy snowfall and avalanche danger.

In Switzerland, around 50 people in the municipality of Orsières were forced to leave their accommodation after avalanche risks rose sharply, according to 20minuten.

The village of Le Tour above Chamonix covered in feet of snow

The Rochemolles section of Bardonecchia was evacuated due to heavy snowfall

Those affected either returned home or found accommodation in areas considered less dangerous.

Alongside snowfall, danger has also come from severe winds approaching hurricane-level force.

According to the regional environmental agency ARPA Piemont, gusts of up to 189 kilometres per hour were recorded at the Gran Vaudala weather station in Ceresole Reale, Italy which sits at an altitude of 3,272 meters.

Forecasters have warned that conditions may worsen further.

This comes as two skiers died over the weekend after being buried in the snow following an off-trail avalanche in Italy, close to the borders with France and Switzerland.

At least three skiers were caught up in Sunday morning’s avalanche on the Mont Blanc massif.

The tragedy occurred in the Couloir Vesses, a well-known freeride route in Courmayeur, in upper Val Veny, according to Italy’s Alpine Rescue.

An avalanche at Cervinia in the Aosta Valley in Italy

An avalanche on Tuesday in the Zermatt region of Switzerland

And on Friday, two Brits were among three people killed in an avalanche in the French Alps, a day after several ski resorts shut down due to the risk of snowslides.

Friday’s avalanche in Val-d’Isère swept away six skiers in an off-piste area of the slopes, killing one French national and the two Britons, as red alerts were issued across the Alps.

Emergency services responded quickly but could not prevent the deaths, a resort official said, noting that all of the victims had avalanche transceivers.    

A record 13 backcountry skiers, climbers and hikers died in the Italian mountains during the first week of February, Alpine Rescue reported last Monday, including 10 in avalanches triggered by an exceptionally unstable snowpack.