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Swiss ski resort to reopen after restaurant fire

Flames consume the Botta restaurant above Glacier 3000 in Switzerland
Flames consumed the Botta restaurant above Glacier 3000 in Switzerland. Canton Vaud police

A popular tourist ski area on a 3,000 metre high Swiss glacier is set to reopen in November following a fire that devastated a mountain top restaurant.

On September 19, a fire broke out at the high-altitude Botta restaurant situated above Glacier 3000 at Les Diablerets in French-speaking canton Vaud.

+ Macabre secrets of melting Swiss glaciers

The Glacier 3000 company that runs the facilities said on Tuesday that the cable car will reopen on November 12 having determined that it was not damaged by the fire.

“While the images are impressive, the damage was limited to the restaurant Botta and to the self-service restaurant. The design of the building and the antifire measures implemented during construction prevented the flames from reaching the lower levels where the cableway is located,” the company stated.

Temporary eating facilities will be set up as work to rebuild the Botta restaurant will not take place until next year.

Former Formula 1 head Bernie Ecclestone is a co-owner of the restaurant that was designed by renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established but no-one was injured as the building was empty at the time of the blaze.

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