Search for missing persons in the Misox continues
Published: Monday, Jun 24th 2024, 17:40
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Two people have been missing in the southern Graubünden valley of Misox since the severe storm on Friday evening. The search for the two people was unsuccessful on Monday, as reported by the Graubünden cantonal police on Monday afternoon.
On Friday evening, a debris flow destroyed three houses in the village of Sorte GR. One resident was rescued injured on Saturday. The body of a man was found by rescue workers on Sunday in the Moesa River, which flows through the Misox.
The search for the two missing persons is continuing, the Graubünden cantonal police told the Keystone-SDA news agency early Monday evening.
The storm caused extensive damage in the valley between the San Bernardino Pass and Bellinzona TI. The Graubünden buildings insurance company explained on Monday that an initial estimate of around 200 damaged buildings is expected in the southern valley.
The Swiss energy company Axpo temporarily shut down six hydropower plants due to the flooding situation in the Misox. Some were damaged and need to be repaired.
The Swiss Sponsorship for Mountain Regions announced on Monday that it was making one million francs available to the municipalities affected by the storm in a special storm fund.
Repair of the A 13 has begun
The first repair work on the A13 highway through the Misox began on Monday morning. If everything runs smoothly and the weather cooperates, for example, the A13 could be partially reopened to traffic in about a month, announced a media spokesperson for the Federal Roads Office Astra. The Moesa had torn away a good section of the national road on Friday evening.
On Sunday evening, the cantonal road through the valley was reopened to traffic - but only for feeder trips, not for transit traffic. Public transport resumed operations on Monday morning.
The interruption to the A13 is causing concern in Ticino. This not only has a negative impact on tourism in Ticino, but also on the entire economy of the southern canton, explained Luca Albertoni, Director of the Ticino Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Keystone-SDA.
The canton of Uri is expecting increased traffic volumes on the Gotthard due to the closed north-south alternative route during the upcoming vacation travel season. It is seeking intercantonal solutions to reduce congestion and increase traffic flow.
Construction work to restore the Visp-Täsch railroad line in the Valais Mattertal is expected to continue until at least the end of the week, according to a spokesperson for the Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway. Until the train is running again, the company will be transporting passengers by bus. Trains are running again between Täsch and Zermatt.
Commercial vehicle association calls for relaxation
According to the Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association Astag, the road transport industry will be able to cope with the interruption of the Gotthard bypass route at the San Bernardino Pass in the short term. However, effective federal traffic management is now needed.
If necessary, local freight traffic would have to be secured with the support of the army. And international coordination is needed to divert transit traffic via Germany and Austria.
Astag would also like to see an increase in capacity on the Gotthard route. However, the association is against the abolition of the metering system with traffic lights at the Gotthard portals, as Deputy Director André Kirchhofer explained on Monday in response to an inquiry. This is for safety reasons.
Astag is also calling on the authorities to consider temporarily lifting the ban on truck drivers driving at night and on Sundays. However, this should not be done across the board, but only where it makes sense, says Kirchhofer. Astag recommends that travelers switch to the train if possible to relieve congestion on the main traffic routes.
SBB announced on Monday that the company is constantly reviewing the situation. "We currently have enough seats on passenger services to carry additional passengers on existing trains. We can also provide the capacity needed in freight transport to respond to any increase in demand," it said.
©Keystone/SDA
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