Horror moment devastating floods tear through homes & spark landslides in Switzerland as 3 missing after torrential rain
THIS is the horror moment devastating floods tore through homes and sparked a horror landslide in Switzerland.
Rescuers are now on a desperate search for three missing people after violent thunderstorms and torrential rain hit the southeast of the country.
Shocking footage shows what once used to be picturesque Swiss villages now completely ravaged by destruction as houses and cars were swept away by the water.
Dramatic clips also showed the otherwise small river that flows through Zermatt turning into a muddy torrent, partially submerging streets in the popular ski resort.
Rivers overflowed their banks, covering fields, highways, and settlements with debris, timber, and earth.
In the village of Sorte, flooding washed away three houses and three cars, according to Grisons police.
The car in which two police officers were trapped was completely submerged but they managed to escape.
Emergency services in the canton of Valais were on high alert over the levels of the River Rhone, which reached its peak on Saturday.
Authorities evacuated 230 residents on Saturday, with the municipality of Chippis particularly affected, as it is situated on the left bank of the Rhone.
One woman was pulled out alive after being buried by the landslide in the Alpine valley of Misox in Graubünden.
But the three others are still nowhere to be found.
Rescuers searched all through Saturday with helicopters and drones after the rockslide hit several homes in the municipality of Lostallo.
Excavators and search dogs were also used in the task force.
William Kloter from the Swiss police, who is heading the rescue operations, told local media that he was hoping to find the three missing people alive.
Authorities have warned residents to avoid lower parts of their houses, including cellars, stay away from swelling rivers and refrain from parking on bridges.
People were also advised against filming or photographing the floods for safety reasons.
Swiss President Viola Amherd said she was shocked by the scale of the damage.
“My thoughts are with those affected. I thank the emergency personnel for their tireless efforts in this difficult situation,” Amherd said on X.
MeteoSchweiz, the government’s office for weather and climate, said almost five inches of rain fell in Mesolcina valley, with a shocking 2.48 inches coming down in just one hour.
A spokesperson for the agency said: “It was not the level of rain, but the concentration of rain in such a short period of time which caused the problems.
“This concentration of rain happens only once every 30 years.”
The Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway announced on Saturday evening that it would resume operations between Zermatt and the village of Täsch, where buses would be available for onward transportation.
Zermatt in the southern canton of Valais, near the iconic Matterhorn mountain, had been cut off from the outside world on Friday and Saturday after heavy rains and melting snow caused the Mattervispa River to overflow.