Avalanche derails Swiss passenger train; multiple casualties feared

Bern: A passenger train in Switzerland derailed on Monday after an avalanche struck the railway line, raising fears that several people on board may have been injured, local authorities said.

The BLS-operated train, carrying around 80 passengers, derailed near Goppenstein in the Valais canton. The service had departed from Spiez at 6:12 am local time and was en route to Brig when the incident occurred at around 7 am.

A spokesperson for BLS told Swiss daily ‘20 Minuten’ that the avalanche caused the derailment and confirmed that passengers would be evacuated.

Police in Valais said injuries among those onboard were “likely” and that emergency response efforts were already in progress.

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) said the affected rail line has been suspended, with disruptions expected to continue until at least 4 am on Tuesday.

As of Monday afternoon, about 30 people had been evacuated from the site. Helicopters and multiple rescue teams remain deployed at the scene.

Rail operator Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon (BLS) said service restrictions would remain in place until at least 5:30 am on Tuesday.

The incident comes amid a spate of deadly avalanches across the Alps following heavy snowfall and unstable snow conditions.

According to a report in Yahoo News UK, on Sunday, an off-piste avalanche on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif killed two skiers and injured another near Courmayeur, close to the French-Swiss border. Italian Alpine Rescue said at least three skiers were caught in the avalanche in the Couloir Vesses, a popular freeride route in the Val Veny area.

One victim later died in hospital despite rescue efforts involving helicopters, canine units and 15 personnel.

Media reports said that last week, two British nationals were among three people killed in an avalanche at the Val

d’Isere ski resort in southeastern France. The avalanche struck at around 10.30 am, and local officials said the third victim was a French national skiing alone.

Media reports said the British skiers were part of an off-piste group accompanied by an instructor.

France’s weather agency Meteo-France had issued a red avalanche warning across the Savoie region ahead of the incident, with Val d’Isere resort authorities strongly discouraging off-piste skiing due to extremely high risk.