Storm Church bells in La Chaux-de-Fonds NE ring for 6:30 minutes

The church bells in La Chaux-de-Fonds NE rang for 6 minutes and 30 seconds at 11.25 a.m. on Wednesday. This was to commemorate the devastating storm in the town exactly one year ago, which left one person dead and dozens injured.

The population paused for a few minutes to remember the traumatic events of July 24, 2023. Several people were present in the two parks Crêtets and Gallet. Because of the devastation of their trees, these two places symbolize the damage caused by the disaster.

The 6 minutes and 30 seconds corresponded to the actual duration of the natural event. The action served to commemorate an "episode that is now part of the history" of the city, the authorities announced.

A year ago, the violent storm with wind gusts of over 200 kilometers per hour swept over the watchmaking town. One person in a car was killed by a fallen construction crane and around 50 people were injured.

4000 to 5000 of the approximately 7500 buildings in the region were affected by the storm. 1600 hectares of forest were damaged and thousands of motor vehicles were destroyed.