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Human remains found in buried Swiss village

Human remains found in Blatten VS
Human remains found in Blatten VS Keystone-SDA

Human remains were found and recovered on Tuesday as part of a search operation in the buried mountain village of Blatten. Formal identification is underway, according to the Valais cantonal police.

Coordinated search operations for the missing man in the Tennmatten area of Blatten have been underway since May 28 under the direction of the Valais cantonal police.

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The operations have been carried out in stages, each time in a secured area, following authorisation from the cantonal command body. On Tuesday, human remains were found and recovered during one of these targeted search operations in a previously defined area of the debris cone. Formal identification has been initiated, the police wrote.

Army could extend relief work

The army’s disaster relief operation has been approved until Thursday, but can be extended if necessary and at the request of the civilian authorities. This “new mode” will take effect from Friday, according to a spokesperson.

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Since Monday, the army’s work has focused on the lake behind the debris cone on the east side of the village of Blatten. The first phase involves clearing this lake of roofs and other debris floating on the surface, including a certain amount of wood.

In Phase 2, the waste stored on the lakeshore will be sorted by material and size. In Phase 3, for which the Canton of Valais and the municipality are responsible, the waste will be destroyed according to a solution yet to be determined, said the army spokesperson.

Adapted from German by DeepL/ac

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