Two people lost their lives and a third is being sought after a landslide that occurred during the night from Saturday to Sunday in the Maggia valley, in Ticino, indicates the Ticino cantonal police. Roads are also cut and campsites along the river have been evacuated.
In the area of the landslide in the Fontana region, in the Maggia Valley, the bodies of two people, currently being identified, were recovered by REGA rescuers. The search for a third missing person is continuing, the Ticino cantonal police announced. The rescue operations are particularly difficult due to the bad weather conditions, they added.
According to the local daily The regionthe two deceased are believed to be Swiss-German women who had come to spend a holiday in the region.
In addition, a holiday camp hosting 70 people was evacuated. In Peccia, 300 people present for a football tournament also had to leave the premises.
No one was injured, said the cantonal police, who provided an emergency number to reach the alarm center (0840 112 117).
On X, the President of the Confederation Viola Amherd indicated that her thoughts were with those affected. And the Minister of Defense called for caution: “The situation remains tense. Be careful and follow the instructions of the authorities.”
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The collapsed Visletto bridge
The upper Maggia Valley is currently isolated due to heavy rains that hit the area overnight from Saturday to Sunday. The bad weather caused the flow of the Maggia River to increase from 25 cubic metres per second to 2,000, while in Cevio the Visletto bridge collapsed, according to RSI Infoblocking the cantonal road.
The side valleys, Bavona, Lavizzara and Campo are also no longer accessible and electricity has been cut off in this entire area. In Airolo, in the Levantina valley, torrential lavas have been reported (photos belowThe police have appealed to the public to limit their movements and not go to places affected by the bad weather.
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On his social networks, Ticino State Councillor Norman Gobbi expressed his sympathy for the affected population. “The bad weather last night hit Ticino hard and in particular the Maggia Valley. With deep solidarity and emotion, we express our closeness and support to our friends in the Maggia Valley in this difficult moment. The first responders are already busy and operational to save lives and are looking for technical solutions to restore connections,” he wrote this Sunday morning on X.
>> Read also: Storms finally hit French-speaking Switzerland, torrential lava at the Simplon Pass
Floods
An appeal to evacuate homes near the Maggia River was also issued early Sunday morning for residents of Parto-Sornico and the Ticino Valley. Several floods have been reported in the area after heavy rain, reports Alertswiss.
Cellars and underground garages should be avoided in the areas concerned, specifies the Confederation alert site. It is also recommended not to approach watercourses and not to drive or cycle through flooded streets.
According to Meteonews radar, some 200 liters per square meter fell in the upper Maggia Valley in 24 hours. These masses of water are much larger than during the bad weather which hit Mesolcina in Graubünden ten days ago, causing serious damage. It then fell around 120 liters per square meter.
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Non-drinkable water
Drinking water in communities at the top of the Maggia valley in Ticino is polluted following Saturday’s bad weather. The authorities warned the population on Sunday morning via the application Alertswiss.
The affected areas are the side valleys from Cervio (TI), namely Val Rovana, Val Bavona and Val Lavizzara, according to Alertswiss. The drinking water should not be used for drinking, cooking or washing until further notice.
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Fabien Grenon with the agencies
