Heavy rains trigger floods and landslides in Switzerland
ZURICH, June 22 (Reuters) -Emergency services with helicopters, drones and rescue dogs searched on Saturday for three people who were missing after violent downpours caused floods and landslides in southwestern Switzerland.
MeteoSchweiz, the government's office for weather and climate, said 124 mm (4.88 inches) of rain fell in Mesolcina valley in the canton of Grisons on Friday, with 63 mm (2.48 inches) falling in a one-hour period.
"It was not the level of rain, but the concentration of rain in such a short period of time which caused the problems," a spokesman for MeteoSchweiz said.
"This concentration of rain happens only once every 30 years."
Several rivers burst their banks in Mesolcina valley, also known as Misox, covering roads, fields and villages with rubble, earth and wood.
Three houses and three cars were swept away by water in the village of Sorte, Grisons police said. Two police officers were able to escape from their vehicle which was submerged up to its roof.
Four people were initially reported missing, although a woman was later found under rubble and taken to hospital in nearby Lugano. A search was still underway for three other people who police said could have been in their homes when the flooding took place.
Police urged people not to travel to the region as many roads were closed. Five villages were without electricity.
In the western canton of Valais, 230 people were evacuated since Friday after heavy rainfall caused flooding and mudslides.
The road and railway line to the town of Zermatt, next to the Matterhorn mountain, was also closed, although police said they hoped to reopen the routes on Saturday evening.
Reporting by John Revill
Editing by Frances Kerry
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
