VIENNA (AP) — Three people are missing after heavy thunderstorms and rain triggered landslides in southeastern Switzerland on Saturday, authorities said.
One woman has been rescued alive after being buried in a landslide in an alpine valley in Mysox, canton Graubünden, while rescue efforts for three others are ongoing.
The rockslide hit a residential area in the town of Rostallo. Rescuers searched throughout Saturday using excavators and specially trained search dogs. William Kloter of Swiss police, who is leading the rescue operation, told local media he hoped the three missing people would be found alive.
This image, cropped from an AFP video on June 22, 2024, shows the flooded Visp River in Zermatt on June 21, 2024. Heavy storms that have battered the region in recent days and a lot of melting snow this year have caused flooding in the scenic village of Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn, causing the Visp River to violently burst its banks. (Photo: KEYSTONE / AFP) / OUT, Switzerland.
Swiss President Viola Amherd said she was shocked by the scale of damage caused by the bad weather.
“My heart goes out to those affected and I would like to thank the emergency services workers who worked tirelessly in these difficult circumstances,” Amhardt said on X.
Elsewhere in Switzerland, Zermatt, a popular tourist town in southern canton Valais near the iconic Matterhorn mountain, remains inaccessible after heavy rains and melting snow caused the Mattervispa river to overflow, isolating the village.
The famous Swiss ski resort of Zermatt was left isolated on June 21 after landslides and flooding made roads and rail access impassable.
This is the last train to leave the town, as the Vispa River has flooded and cut off the town from the outside world.pic.twitter.com/2hWoAFxdMP
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 22, 2024
Dramatic footage shows a small river flowing through Zermatt turning into a muddy flood, partially submerging a road in the popular ski resort.
The Matterhorn Gotthardbahn train has stopped operating as there are no alternative transport options, the railway company announced on social media on Saturday morning.
Nathan (left), from Mesocco, lies before boarding a helicopter with police and firefighters from the operations control centre in Roveredo, Switzerland, on June 22, 2024, after the area was hit by heavy flooding. Police in the canton of Graubunden said three people were missing after heavy flooding in south-eastern Switzerland on June 22, 2024. (Photo by Piero Cruciatti/AFP) (Photo by Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)
Emergency services in canton Valais were alerted by high water levels in the Rhône river, which peaked on Saturday. Authorities evacuated 230 residents on Saturday, with the town of Tsipisse, on the river’s left bank, particularly hard hit.
Authorities warned residents to avoid low-lying areas of the home, including basements, stay away from swollen rivers and avoid parking on bridges. Residents were also advised not to photograph or take pictures of the flooding for safety reasons.
