Service commemorates death of Swiss soldiers
A memorial service has taken place in Andermatt for the six young Swiss Army soldiers who were killed last Thursday in an accident on the Jungfrau mountain.
At a news conference afterwards, one of the eight survivors said he had noticed nothing of an avalanche – thought to have been the cause of the accident – and had slipped because the climber in front had fallen on him.
All the rope teams then fell, but the two at the rear managed to avoid the sheer drop that killed the six soldiers from western Switzerland.
The testimony contradicted earlier reports which said the soldiers were swept away by an avalanche. This led to harsh criticism in the Swiss media, which questioned the army’s decision to let the expedition go ahead despite a high avalanche risk after several days of snowfall.
The soldiers – members of the Mountain Specialists Division – were taking part in an exercise on the southwest flank of the Jungfrau peak, which is located in the Bernese Oberland region.
The service was held in the Catholic church in Andermatt, where the soldiers were based.
In homage to the victims, Defence Minister Samuel Schmid opened his speech with the following remark: “Switzerland is deeply shocked! We are all deeply shocked!”
Speaking in the name of the Swiss government and people, Schmid offered his condolences to the parents, families, close friends, colleagues and army comrades.
Many questions
He said there were many questions that people asked in such moments, in particular the cause of the deaths, which the soldiers had not deserved.
While he said that words appeared “empty” at present, it was necessary to seek out the truth with respect.
“This respect calls for us to carry out restraint: not to point the finger before we know, not to judge before we have the truth and not to rush when there is a need for time and space to mourn.”
“I speak here of the need to investigate what happened seriously, independently but also quickly, and to bring forward the facts.”
Schmid said that the six had been doing their duty as mountain specialists, which were needed in Switzerland to save lives, to carry out surveillance, and to guide and help others.
“We commemorate six people who have lost their lives in the mountains – an environment in which they were happy, which they loved and which they always wanted to understand better so that they could offer their knowledge and experience to others and to their country.”
An elite
Corps Commander Luc Fellay, head of the Swiss Army’s land forces also paid tribute to the six victims who were carrying out what he described as “the work of specialists, the work of an elite”.
He described their deaths as “incomprehensible and unjust”.
But he also offered “deep compassion” to the six soldiers and two guides who witnessed the tragedy, saying the “unbearable images” would be engraved in their memories forever.
The surviving soldier who spoke at the news conference said the 14 had been free to choose their own route and had done so together. They were not under orders.
They had chosen to walk on a ridge where any fresh snow had already been blown away. He said the snow conditions underfoot were firm.
Swiss Army deputy commander Fred Heer said after the speculation in the media over the past five days and the “enormous pressure” on those directly involved it had been important for one of them to give his view of the events.
swissinfo with agencies
The Swiss Army has confirmed that 24 army personnel stayed in the Mönchsjoch hut overnight before mountain tours last Thursday in the Bernese Oberland.
Fifteen of them left on a trip up the Jungfrau mountain, with one of them breaking the tour at the Jungfrau saddle because he felt unwell.
Seven others went, as planned, up the Mönch mountain, which is located between the Jungfrau and the renowned Eiger.
The remaining two stayed in the Mönchsjoch hut because they were also not feeling well.
The victims were all part of the Mountain Specialists Division 1 in the Swiss militia army.
To be accepted into the recruit school in Andermatt, members have to fulfil two conditions: completion of a special group leadership course in one of the two fields: ski touring or mountaineering; and obtain marks good to very good in the sport exams that are part of the 3-day conscription to the army.
The main emphasis of training is on avalanche duties, mountain rescue techniques, survival in the mountains, and carrying out redeployment moves in the mountains.
Members of the unit are also taught to act as advisers and trainers.
The unit is expected to be ready to be deployed and operational within 9 hours.
There has been widespread speculation and contradictory hypotheses put forward as to how the six soldiers were killed.
Some versions speak of an accident after an avalanche had already fallen.
A military investigation is expected to come up with the results of its inquiry in October.
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