A torrent of water in the Triftbach stream caused unexpected flooding in the Swiss resort of Zermatt. A pocket of meltwater in the glacier above is believed to be the cause.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-Keystone/ac
Despite it being the hottest day of the year without a drop of rain in sight, the Triftbach stream took Zermatt by surprise on Wednesday when it transformed into a gushing torrent of grey water for a while. News website 20 Minuten was able to source footageExternal link from readers.
No one was injured, the municipality said.
A glacier is probably at the origin of these torrents of water carrying sand and stones, said mayor Romy Biner-Hauser, who described it as “an unpredictable whim of nature”.
A pocket of water in the glacial zone above the stream – invisible from the surface – could have emptied itself, he said.
The fire brigade has been deployed and the bridges over the Triftbach have been closed. Water had to be pumped out of some of the cellars of local houses.
More
More
Tunnelling through a glacier keeps villages from flooding
This content was published on
A glacial lake in Switzerland has been filling with meltwater, endangering the residents of the valley.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
Top Swiss politician experiences drone attack in Ukraine
This content was published on
Maja Riniker, president of the Swiss House of Representatives, said she had to spend two hours in a bunker during her trip to Ukraine because of Russian drone attacks.
This content was published on
A rockfall caused an interruption of several hours on the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway between Thusis and Tiefencastel on Thursday.
This content was published on
A 600kg bull that escaped in the Montalchez region of canton Neuchâtel has been found in a pen surrounded by several cows.
Bern chatbot wins UN artificial intelligence award
This content was published on
The Bern-based chatbot "Sophia" has won the United Nations' "AI for Good Impact Award 2025". The chatbot is designed to help victims of domestic violence.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Avalanche threat cuts off Zermatt for second time in two weeks
This content was published on
The avalanche risk in the southern Swiss canton of Valais was raised on Saturday, and one municipality has been evacuated.
When the ‘flood of the century’ crippled Switzerland
This content was published on
Severe flooding in May 1999 killed one person and injured several others. Damage to property and infrastructure was severe, racking up thousands of insurance claims worth millions of Swiss francs. Especially hard hit were communities near Bern and in central and eastern Switzerland. In some cases, the entire ground floors of homes and businesses were…
This content was published on
Here are three ways less meltwater coming down from the mountains will affect ordinary people. We took a closer look at one Swiss valley.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.