10h02
Since Saturday afternoon, a large part of Switzerland has been affected by violent storms accompanied by very heavy rainfall.
Overflows of the Rhone and its tributaries, swollen by torrential rains and melting snow, have forced the evacuation of several hundred people and the closure of many roads, according to local authorities in Valais.
“Several hundred people were evacuated” after the Rhône overflowed in various places, notably between Raron and Gampel and also in Chippis and Sierre, the civil security services of the canton of Valais (south-west) stressed in a press release issued on Sunday.
“Overflows and torrential lava (mud and rock flows, editor’s note) along lateral watercourses have occurred”, forcing in particular the closure to traffic of the Simplon Pass road, a major artery for international but also cantonal traffic.
Many other roads are closed in Valais.
In Zermatt, Visp once again got out of bed, according to images broadcast on the social network X during the night. We see the muddy waters rushing down the streets of this famous mountain resort at the foot of the Matterhorn.
Heavy rains had already caused flooding in the same places in the city on June 21. Road access from Täsch is also closed. Rail traffic is also disrupted in part of the canton.
Authorities in several cantons had decided to cancel all open-air events on Saturday, thus depriving thousands of supporters of the Swiss national team of the opportunity to celebrate together the victory against Italy (2-0) at the Euro.
Switzerland already experienced violent storms and exceptional rainfall last weekend, killing at least one person and causing significant damage in the south-east of its territory.
Two people remain missing, while it is being verified whether the body of a woman found on Thursday is one of them. The town of Morges, not far from Lausanne, had been particularly affected by flooding.
The A13 motorway, a major artery for road traffic between northern and southern Europe, has been closed at Lostallo in the canton of Grisons and will not be reopened to single-lane traffic until the beginning of July.
