Landslide in Saas Valley: Heavy rain leads to road closure

– Saas Valley cut off from the outside world after landslide

Heavy rainfall has caused landslides in Upper Valais. The road between Stalden and Saas-Almagell is closed.

Published today at 13:52

Landslide in the Saas Valley.

Bild: Screenshot

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Heavy rainfall in Upper Valais caused flooding and landslides on Thursday. The Saas Valley was cut off from the outside world after the cantonal road was buried by a mudslide. The authorities warned of further flooding, bank collapses and mudslides in other regions of the canton due to the heavy rainfall.

The landslide occurred in the direction of Eisten and led to the closure of the road between Stalden and Saas-Balen. According to initial information, no one was injured in the mudslide. The section of road between Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell was also closed.

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Emergency services were on site to repair the road. It was not initially clear when the road would be able to be reopened. In the Saas Valley, the Lehanbach and Triftbach rivers overflowed their banks. The latter tore away a bridge at the mouth of the Vispa.

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Other danger areas

The cantonal management body (KFO) called for increased vigilance for the tributaries of the Rhone in the regions of Upper Val d’Hérens, Anniviers, Mattertal, Saas Valley, Simplon, Binntal, Goms and Aletsch. A warning was also issued for the Rhone from Gletsch to Martigny. The peak of the flooding in the Rhone is expected on Thursday evening.

The KFO called on the population, among other things, to limit travel, not to go near waterways, not to park on bridges or on the banks of tributaries and the Rhone, and to avoid cellars and underground car parks when there is a risk of flooding.

This year’s storms caused damage of around 125 million Swiss francs

The Valais was already hit by severe storms at the end of June and beginning of July. Floods and mudslides caused major damage to buildings, roads, infrastructure and agricultural land.

On Wednesday, the State Council put the damage caused by these storms in the canton at around 125 million francs in an initial estimate. This amount does not include the damage caused to private individuals and companies. One man was killed in Saas-Grund, and one person in the Binn region has been missing since then.