Avalanche Hits Train In Southern Switzerland, Five Injured

Last Updated:February 16, 2026, 17:46 IST

The train had departed Spiez at 6:12 am and was heading south towards Brig when several carriages derailed near Goppenstein.

At least five people were injured after a train derailed amid a high avalanche warning in southern Switzerland on Monday.

The incident took place at around 7:00 am (0600 GMT) near the village of Goppenstein in the southwestern canton of Valais when the train derailed after an avalanche hit the railway line, news agency AFP reported. Around 30 people were evacuated from the train, authorities told the news agency.

“Five people were injured. One of them was taken to hospital," police said, adding that the remaining passengers had been evacuated safely.

The train had departed Spiez at 6:12 am and was heading south towards Brig when several carriages derailed near Goppenstein, a key transport hub at the exit of the Lötschberg rail tunnel.

The region was under a level four of five avalanche warning at the time — the second-highest alert level — following heavy snowfall and strong winds across the Alps.

Train operator Swiss Federal Railways (CFF) said that the traffic between Goppenstein and Brig had been interrupted due to an avalanche. A spokesperson for Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon (BLS) told local media that the train derailed after an avalanche came down in the Stockgraben area, though it was unclear whether the train was directly struck.

Authorities had warned last week of a heightened avalanche risk in Valais amid persistent snowfall. The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) raised the warning level to four on February 11, citing unstable snow layers that increased the likelihood of slides.

Additionally, authorities have issued evacuation orders for several areas in the municipality of Orsières following severe weather and strong winds, with heavy rain forecast later in the day.

Switzerland is renowned for its extensive and punctual rail network, with some of Europe’s most heavily used rail services per capita. While accidents have declined in recent decades despite growing usage, derailments do occur. In 2023, 15 people were injured when two trains derailed minutes apart during a storm near the capital Bern.

Across the Alps, avalanche conditions have been particularly dangerous in recent days. At least four off-piste skiers have been killed in the French Alps, and European avalanche monitoring services report dozens of avalanche-related deaths this winter season.

(With inputs from AFP)

News world Avalanche Hits Train In Southern Switzerland, Five Injured

Read More