Heavy rains continue to keep Switzerland in suspense

Heavy rain again in Switzerland: an important motorway in the canton of Ticino is temporarily closed. Another landslide has cut off the Valle di Muggio from the outside world.

Heavy rain has fallen in the Swiss holiday cantons of Graubünden and Ticino for the third week in a row. In southern Ticino, police temporarily closed a section of the motorway on the Gotthard northbound, they reported on Twitter. A slope there had to be secured because it was at risk of slipping. The A2 is an important north-south link and runs from the German border in Basel via Lucerne and through the Gotthard road tunnel and via Lugano to Chiasso on the Italian border. Traffic has been diverted.

The third highest warning level has been declared.

According to the fire brigade, the road leading to Valle di Muggio was also buried by the landslide. There is no information on missing or injured people. There are nine small villages in the valley not far from the Italian border. The danger level of three out of five applies to Ticino and Graubünden until this evening. The authorities have called on people to stay away from bodies of water and steep slopes and not to go down into underground areas that could quickly fill up in the event of flooding.

Already a weekend with severe weather

A week ago, landslides and flooding caused by mountain river dams killed six people in the Maggia Valley area of ​​Ticino alone, including three women from Baden-Württemberg. Two weeks ago, floodwaters swept away four people in the Mesoxthal area of ​​Graubünden. Only one woman was rescued alive. In southern Ticino on the border with Italy, 110 litres of rain per square metre fell in 24 hours, including 48 litres in two hours, according to the Swiss weather service MeteoSwiss. The rain is expected to stop only this evening. Heavy rain also fell in Graubünden.

People were airlifted to safety by helicopters.

In the Maggia Valley area, rescue workers airlifted nine people to safety in helicopters as a precaution before new rains hit. Others have temporarily moved in with relatives and friends. Two weeks ago, another important highway in Graubünden, the A13 on the San Bernardino road, was washed away and partially destroyed after heavy rains. The Federal Roads Office quickly repaired one lane and opened it to traffic on Friday.