Swiss resort of Zermatt temporarily cut off after rockfall
Road and railway access to the mountain resort of Zermatt were cut off between Monday evening and Tuesday following a rockfall.
The rockfall took place at 7.30pm on Monday evening between the villages of Randa and Herbriggen, four kilometres south of Zermatt. The access road was closed, and train services were halted. No one was hurt.
Randa/Herbriggen: Strasse ab 11 Uhr wieder offen – https://t.co/auGedh1wveExternal link pic.twitter.com/lUWdxi4lGXExternal link
— rro – radio rottu oberwallis (@radiorottu) August 13, 2019External link
The section of road affected reopened at 11am on Tuesday morning. The train line, which had been hit over a 20-30-metre stretch between St. Nicolas and Randa, was closed until 4.15pm on Tuesday. Bus services replaced trains during the closure.
Zermatt is regularly affected by natural forces. Last month, parts of the resort were flooded after a stream burst its bank due to a pocket of meltwater from the glacier above. The biggest crisis occurred last winter when tourists were stranded for four days after transport links were severed following avalanches, heavy snow and rockfalls.
More
What’s the real risk from avalanches?
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
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.