Rhone overflowed its banks in several places
Published: Sunday, Jun 30th 2024, 08:00
Retour au fil d'actualité
After the heavy thunderstorms since Saturday afternoon, the Rhone has burst its banks in several places in Valais. There was also flooding on the tributaries.
The maximum level of the Rhone flood was reached in the Upper Valais on Sunday night, the cantonal management body (KFO) wrote in a statement. It is expected to reach the Lower Valais in the early morning.
Due to the situation, the Valais cantonal authorities also issued an alert for the Rhone itself. They had already done so for the tributaries of the Rhone on Saturday afternoon.
According to a press release, there was flooding between Raron and Gampel and between Chippis and Sierre. People had to leave their homes in Goms, Täsch, Siders/Chippis and Sion, among other places. According to the authorities, several hundred people were brought to safety.
The precipitation, the melting snow and the water-saturated ground also resulted in several debris flows, particularly on the Simplon axis. This was already closed to traffic on Saturday.
The storm also caused disruption to rail services. Due to flooding, the Lausanne - Brig line between Riddes and Ardon VS in the Lower Valais was interrupted early on Sunday morning, as the SBB reported on X.
The Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway (MGBahn) was also affected and with it the rail connections from Valais to the canton of Uri and on to Graubünden. Both the line between Fürgangen-Bellwald and Andermatt and - on the Graubünden side - the line between Dieni and the Oberalp Pass were interrupted.
©Keystone/SDA
French 
English 
German 
Spanish 
Arabic