A train carrying 29 passengers in the canton of Valais derailed earlier today due to an avalanche, authorities said, quoted by DPA. Five people were injured, and one of them had to be taken to hospital, BTA reported.
"An avalanche may have blocked the tracks shortly before the train passed," police said.
The operator of the affected railway section, the BLS company, said earlier that train traffic on the section between Goppenstein and the neighboring town of Brig had been stopped due to an avalanche. The Swiss Federal Railways also cited snow drifts as the cause of the disruptions.
About 60 kilometres southwest of Goppenstein – in Orsier, 50 residents were evacuated from a danger zone as a precautionary measure due to the risk of avalanches.
Authorities have warned of dangerous weather conditions with strong winds and expected rainfall. People will not be able to return to their homes until at least Wednesday, authorities said.
The Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos has warned of a high risk of avalanches in large parts of the Swiss Alps due to the large amounts of fresh snow and drifts formed by strong winds. Avalanches are sometimes caused by people, but can also form without human intervention.