Two hamlets and a campsite in Valais evacuated

Two hamlets and a campsite in Valais evacuated Keystone-SDA

Authorities in the southwestern canton of Valais had a campsite and the two hamlets of Le Frignoley and Les Epenays in Val de Bagnes evacuated on Wednesday after heavy rainfall. Access to the area around a stream and the Danse river is prohibited.

The upper part of the valley was inaccessible. The alarm app Swiss Alert reported in the evening that it was forbidden to enter the area and said it was imperative to stay away from the banks of streams and rivers.

According to the alert service, there were further discharges of mud and debris from the Le Frignoley torrent. In the night, the authorities organised a monitoring service along the stream and as far downstream as the village of Etiez on the Rhone tributary Dranse. The police and fire department were on site.

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The torrent overflowed its banks and washed out an old landfill site on Wednesday after heavy rainfall on the crest of the Alps, as Vincent Pellisser, head of the cantonal department responsible, told Swiss public radio RTS. A lot of mud and debris flowed onto the cantonal road.

Pellisser assured that the landfill is not on the list of contaminated sites. The risk of environmental pollution is low. On the other hand, there is a high risk that debris and mud from the torrent could block the Dranse river like a plug.

Towards evening, a lake formed in the valley due to erosion from a debris flow above the torrent and the increased water runoff, according to the municipal authorities of Val de Bagnes.

According to the authorities, there was no damage to infrastructure by the evening, but the risk was so great that the population and guests of the campsite were evacuated to safety. The evacuees found accommodation in two multi-purpose halls or in private homes. The town crisis team decided to maintain the measures until further notice.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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