Rescuers search for another avalanche victim in Zermatt VS
Published: Wednesday, Apr 3rd 2024, 17:01
Updated At: Wednesday, Apr 3rd 2024, 17:20
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Following the avalanche accident on Easter Monday in Zermatt VS, in which three people died and one was injured, another person has been reported missing. The person in question is a 30-year-old man.
It can be assumed that he was also caught up in the avalanche, the Valais cantonal police announced on Wednesday. A new search operation in the affected area on Tuesday afternoon was unsuccessful. The cantonal police are in close contact with the missing man's relatives, it added.
Two further fatalities have now been formally identified. They are a 58-year-old Swiss man and a 25-year-old Canadian woman. The death of a 15-year-old US-American had already been confirmed on Tuesday. A 20-year-old Swiss man was rescued injured from the masses of snow and flown to hospital.
The avalanche broke loose shortly after 2 p.m. on Monday away from the ski slopes on the Riffelberg in Zermatt. Eyewitnesses observed how several skiers were swept away by a large slab of snow.
The public prosecutor's office, in cooperation with the cantonal police, has launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.
High avalanche danger
According to the website of Bergbahnen Zermatt, there was a high avalanche danger level four in the area on Monday. Even with a considerable avalanche danger, level three, a single snow sports enthusiast can easily trigger an avalanche. Spontaneous and often very large avalanches are likely when the avalanche danger is high.
With the latest victims this winter, 17 people have died in avalanches in the mountains in Switzerland so far. Most of the victims were ski tourers.
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