Saas Valley in southern Switzerland remains isolated after landslide
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Saas Valley in southern Switzerland remains isolated after landslide
Storms and heavy rain have triggered a landslide that closed the main cantonal road into the Saas Valley in southern Switzerland on Thursday.
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The Saaservispa mountain stream is overflowing its banks in several places, Swiss public radio, SRF, reported on Thursday morning.
Officials in the Saas Valley had tried to make the necessary preparations ahead of heavy rain on Wednesday.
“We already set up excavators on the side streams yesterday evening,” said Bruno Ruppen, the mayor of Saas-Grund. “This morning, from half past six, it started raining harder, but as of now, we have the water under control.”
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Despite the efforts, a landslide occurred on the access road from Stalden to Saas-Grund and a mudslide tore away a bridge near Eisten. The cantonal road is therefore temporarily closed.
“It will be open to traffic again tomorrow at the earliest,” said Ruppen.
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No one was injured in the landslide. And so far no flooding has been reported in Saas-Grund.
Heavy rain is forecast on Thursday but Ruppen expects the situation will remain under control.
Schools will remain closed until this evening. “We are keeping an eye on the critical areas, the situation remains tense,” says Ruppen.
The Saas Valley region was hit by severe storms at the end of June and beginning of July. Floods and mudslides caused major damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Translated from German by DeepL/sb
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