Bern, Switzerland – A ferocious blizzard has gripped Switzerland, unleashing havoc across its snowy landscapes. On Monday, a passenger train hurtled off the tracks near Goppenstein village in a sudden avalanche triggered by the storm, injuring five people. The Swiss meteorological service warns that the danger persists, issuing alerts for the coming week.
The incident unfolded around 7 a.m. local time as the train, carrying approximately 80 passengers from Spiez to Brig, was en route through the rugged Alps. A massive slab of snow and ice crashed down, derailing the locomotive. Rescue teams sprang into action swiftly, evacuating 30 passengers unharmed while airlifting the injured to nearby hospitals via helicopters and ambulances.
Switzerland’s weather authority had elevated avalanche warnings to Category 5 – the highest level – across vast Alpine regions. This rare alert signals potential for large-scale natural avalanches capable of burying entire valleys. Prior to this derailment, the storms had already claimed lives and paralyzed transportation networks, with roads and rail lines shuttered indefinitely.
Rail services in the affected areas are suspended until at least Tuesday, officials confirmed. The blizzards follow a deadly weekend where a 38-year-old Swiss snowboarder perished in an avalanche near Davos on Sunday afternoon. He was off-piste with a companion in the Parsenn ski area when the snow gave way around 1:30 p.m.
His partner alerted rescuers immediately and began digging, but the man was found lifeless beneath the debris. Earlier on Friday, two British skiers were among three killed in an avalanche in France’s Val d’Isère alongside an instructor. As cleanup efforts continue, authorities urge extreme caution in the mountains, emphasizing that the blizzard threat looms large.