The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Traffic on the move after blaze near Zurich station

Site of fire near Zurich main station
The site of fire near Zurich main station, as seen late Saturday afternoon Keystone

The area around Zurich’s main station has been reopened to traffic a day after a dramatic blaze caused severe damage in a building nearby.


The Bahnhofbrücke to Central areas were opened to cars, trams and buses again during the night, the Swiss news agency SDA-ATS said. Futher sections, such as underpass near the Swiss National Museum up to the Rudolf-Brun-Brücke, have now been reopened, after the situation was assessed by structural engineers, Zurich city police said in a statementExternal link late Sunday morning.

Traffic had been disrupted in the area around the main station on Saturday after a huge fire broke out in a commercial building near Zurich main station in the early hours of Saturday morning.

swissinfo.ch could report that traffic was flowing quite normally around the station, which is Switzerland’s largest, on Sunday morning. The immediate area around the damaged building – which is over the road from the main station and not far from the Coop supermarket – is still cordoned off, with security officials standing guard. This measure was confirmed by the Zurich city police statement.

Site of fire
Traffic flowing on Sunday morning swissinfo.ch/Isobel Leybold-Johnson

External Content

The first calls about the blaze came in at 2.16 AM on Saturday. The flames shot several metres high into the sky and could be seen around the city.

The corner building’s attic was completely in flames by the time the fire service arrived at the Bahnhofquai location and the blaze then spread to further parts of the building and into another adjacent building. Firefighters were able to get the fire under control by around 4AM. The building was empty and being renovated, according to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

External Content

The extent of the damage is huge, a Zurich emergency services statement said.

Eyewitnesses said that they heard two explosions at around 2.30 AM, with at least one gas bottle exploding. Police have found parts of a gas bottle in Bahnhofstrasse. A police officer suffered ear trauma due to the explosions. It is not known if there are any further injuries at this time.

The cause of the fire also remains unknown and police are appealing for witnesses.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Army seeks "contemporary" solution for bunker facilities

More

Swiss army looks to repurpose old bunkers

This content was published on The army is looking for a modern solution for its decommissioned fortress mortar bunkers, with plans to turn them into hardened defence hubs.

Read more: Swiss army looks to repurpose old bunkers
Women's Euro: Berne celebrates a football festival without a happy ending

More

Switzerland knocked out of Women’s Euro 2025

This content was published on Spain ended Switzerland’s run in the Women’s Euros on Friday, but fans in Bern made history with the largest supporters’ march in Women’s Euros history.

Read more: Switzerland knocked out of Women’s Euro 2025
Solar aeroplane flies around the Matterhorn

More

Solar plane flies around Matterhorn

This content was published on Solar energy pioneer Raphaël Domjan and his team continued preparations for the altitude record attempt at 10,000 metres with the SolarStratos solar aircraft.

Read more: Solar plane flies around Matterhorn
Compulsory vaccination against cattle disease in Geneva and parts of Vaud

More

Vaccinations imposed for some Swiss cattle

This content was published on Cattle in the canton of Geneva and in the neighbouring region of Terre Sainte in the canton of Vaud are being vaccinated against the contagious viral skin nodule disease. The first cases of the animal disease were reported at the end of June in France, just outside Geneva.

Read more: Vaccinations imposed for some Swiss cattle
Small rockfalls occurred above Brienz GR

More

Rockfalls measured above Swiss village

This content was published on A series of rockfalls occurred above the village of Brienz between 9 and 12 July. According to the municipality of Albula, the overall situation remains tense. Several people disregarded the ban on entering the area around the village.

Read more: Rockfalls measured above Swiss village
Arosa Bergbahnen with record sales

More

Arosa cable cars celebrate record year

This content was published on Arosa Bergbahnen achieved the highest figure in its 95-year history in the 2024/25 financial year with net revenue of CHF 37 million. Arosa Lenzerheide was able to capitalise on strengths such as snow reliability and the size of the ski area in a long winter season, the company announced on Thursday.

Read more: Arosa cable cars celebrate record year

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR