Heavy rain triggers floods, landslides in Switzerland, 1 killed

Rescuers in Switzerland have found the body of one of three people a day after they were swept away in a rockslide that hit their Alpine village following massive thunderstorms and rainfall, authorities said Sunday. The other two are still missing.

This aerial photograph shows diggers clearing an area in the Graubunden (Grisons) canton in Switzerland after violent downpours caused floods and landslides(AFP)

One woman was pulled out alive from the rubble earlier on Saturday morning.

“Today is a sad day,” said Ignazio Cassis, member of the Swiss Federal Council, who addressed reporters Sunday after traveling to the region to show solidarity with the victims on behalf of the Federal Government.

The man’s body was found in a nearby river, authorities said.

A team of 200 rescuers has been searching for the missing since Saturday with excavators, specially-trained search dogs, drones and army helicopters. But the likelihood of finding them alive is low, William Kloter from the Swiss police, who is heading the rescue operations, told reporters Sunday.

Search operations had to be halted during the night due to heavy rain.

The rockslide hit a group of three houses in the municipality of Lostallo in the Alpine valley of Misox in Graubünden.

Swiss authorities also said that a segment of the A13 motorway leading to Italy had been completely submerged and destroyed by flooding. The major transit route will likely remain closed between the key San Bernardino Pass and Roveredo for several months.

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