By V.E.K.Madhushani, Jadetimes News
Heavy Rains Trigger Landslides, Severing Access to Popular Tourist Destination
The body of a man has been found after three people went missing when floodwaters swept through the southeastern Swiss town of Misox in the alpine valley of Graubünden, also known as Grisons. A massive thunderstorm on Friday night caused rivers to break their banks, flooding streets and leading to the evacuation of several dozen residents.
Initially, four people were reported missing, but a woman was found under rocks and taken to a hospital in the city of Lugano. The body of a man was found eight kilometers (five miles) from where he disappeared, police said on Sunday. Rescuers continue to search for the remaining two people, but a police spokesman said the probability of finding them alive "is low."
The three individuals were likely at home when floodwaters swept away three houses and three vehicles, according to police reports.
Further west, the alpine resort of Zermatt has been isolated by floodwaters. Footage from the town, located at the base of the iconic Matterhorn mountain, showed floodwaters raging through the streets on Friday. The Swiss government's weather service reported that 124 mm (4.88 in) of rain had fallen in the area on Friday, with most of it occurring over a one hour period. "This concentration of rain happens only once every 30 years," a spokesman for the service said.
Train links between Visp and Zermatt have been suspended, and the road between Täsch and Zermatt has been closed, leaving the resort completely inaccessible. Authorities had prepared for some overflow, restricting public access to the banks of the Rhône and its offshoot rivers from Friday.