Landslide kills two in Switzerland

Two people died in a landslide caused by torrential rains in south-eastern Switzerland, and a third is missing, police in the canton of Ticino announced on Sunday, June 30. “The bodies of two people were found by rescuers in connection with the landslide in the Fontana area” northeast of the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, according to a police press release, which specifies that identification is in progress.

The significant storms on Saturday, which also affected part of France, “caused a landslide in the Fontana region (northwest of the canton) and people were reported missing,” wrote the police of the Italian-speaking canton in a statement, without providing further details.

A call to evacuate homes near the Maggia River was made early Sunday morning for residents of Prato-Sornico and the Maggia valley. The roads are cut and the campsites located along the river have been evacuated, according to the cantonal police. In addition, a bridge was swept away by the waters blocking the cantonal road.

Several valleys near the Maggia Valley are no longer accessible and electricity has been cut off. Part of the canton is also without drinking water, according to the federal warning system Swissalert.