San Bernardino route open again – six people still missing
Published: Thursday, Jul 4th 2024, 19:10
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Four people are still missing after the storm in the upper Maggia Valley. In Valais, the active search for a missing person has been stopped. There is also no trace of a person in Misox. The San Bernardino route is open again as of Friday morning.
One person found dead in Ticino had not yet been identified on Thursday, according to the emergency services. The search for the missing persons is reportedly concentrating on the river courses and is heavily dependent on the weather. The water must also be clear. Specialists are investigating all traces.
The authorities in the Valais municipality of Binn have called off the active search for a missing 52-year-old man. The man and his car disappeared on Saturday evening after a fault at a power station was repaired. The police assume that he was swept away by debris. In total, at least eight people have died after two weekends of severe weather.
Evacuation plan for the Maggia Valley
Helicopters have flown around 400 missions in the devastated Maggia Valley since the storm at the weekend. As thunderstorms and rain are expected again next weekend, the cantonal emergency team is working on an evacuation plan for the upper part of the valley. As the zone is more sensitive due to open landslides and rivers outside their normal courses, great caution is required, as cantonal geologist Andrea Pedrazzini said.
It is not clear when a temporary replacement for the demolished Visletto Bridge will be ready. According to Maurzio Dattrino, the commander of the army operation, the foundations have to be laid first. They are working almost around the clock to plan a temporary bridge.
San Bernardino route opens
From 5 a.m. on Friday, the San Bernardino route, an important north-south transit route with one lane in each direction, will be open again at Lostallo. According to the Federal Roads Office (Astra), passenger cars and heavy goods vehicles will be able to travel at 80 km/h on the section of the A13 highway that was repaired after a section collapsed.
Astra attributes the rapid reconstruction to the uninterrupted construction work thanks to the stable weather and the almost undamaged nearby Buffalora Bridge. According to Astra, the work for the necessary complete renovation of the section will last until the fall.
The Simplon Pass is also open again from Friday evening. This had been closed since Saturday due to debris flows. As rain is expected again at the weekend, Astra is monitoring the situation closely. The authorities expect the reopened roads to relieve congestion on the Gotthard highway and the route along the Great St. Bernard.
Evacuees back home in Valais
After a mudslide in Val de Bagnes VS, 200 of the 240 people brought to safety were able to return home on Thursday. The village of Champsec was evacuated during the night as a precautionary measure.
The precautionary measures remained in place for around forty people from the hamlets of Les Epenays and Fregnoley and from the Champsec campsite. The authorities had ordered the evacuation of these three villages on Wednesday afternoon following the mudslide in the Torrent du Fregnoley.
Bathing bans in Maggia - warning for Rhone
In Ticino, bathing in the Maggia and parts of Lake Maggiore is prohibited. According to the emergency staff, the ban extends to all parts of the lake with alluvial deposits and debris. Specifically, this is the case in Locarno, Ascona and Tenero. However, shipping will resume as scheduled from Friday.
The canton of Geneva warns against swimming in the Rhone due to the high water level. To prevent flooding of Lake Geneva, the authorities opened the sluices at the Seujet dam completely. This leads to fast and dangerous currents.
©Keystone/SDA
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