In the heart of Switzerland’s snow-blanketed Alps, a brutal ice storm has turned paradise into peril. Monday’s tragedy saw a passenger train derail near the quaint village of Goppenstein, leaving five injured in its wake. With avalanche risks still sky-high, the national weather service has sounded alarms for persistent dangers through the week.
Departing Spiez at 6:12 a.m. bound for Brig, the train was midway when a ferocious wall of snow struck around 7 a.m., forcing it off the rails. Among the 80 onboard, rescuers safely extracted 30, while medics rushed the wounded to care via emergency choppers and ground ambulances. Swiss police detailed the chaos, highlighting the storm’s unrelenting fury.
The Alps are under a severe Category 5 avalanche warning – an ominous top-tier alert reserved for scenarios portending massive, uncontrollable slides. This comes after a string of fatalities: roads blocked, rails halted, and ski slopes turned treacherous. Grisons cantonal police reported a snowboarder’s death in Davos on Sunday, crushed by snow in the Schwarz horn area below Parsenn while off official paths.
His 38-year-old companion frantically called for help at 1:30 p.m. and searched desperately, but recovery efforts ended grimly. Echoing the peril, Friday’s avalanche in neighboring France’s Val d’Isère claimed three lives, including two Brits with their guide. Officials now project rail disruptions lasting to Tuesday, advising all to shun high-risk zones as nature’s wrath shows no signs of abating.