Storm Some of the evacuees return to their homes in Sierre VS

Some of the 141 people evacuated during the floods in Sierre have been able to return to their homes. These are the tenants of the Alusuisse villas on the banks of the Rhone, most of which were not damaged.

Sophie Martin from the Sierre Social-Medical Center confirmed a corresponding report by the newspaper "Le Nouvelliste" to the news agency Keystone-SDA on Thursday. "Electricity is back in the Sous-Géronde district, but the housing situation is provisional and precarious," she said.

She recalled that the owner of the villas, the Anglo-Australian mining group Rio Tinto, has decided to stop renting out the villas for safety reasons. The tenants have until November to vacate the premises. "Some have already found new accommodation, but they won't be able to move in until September or October," emphasized Martin.

100 people cannot return

The Sous-Géronde district in Sierre was hit so hard by the storms that some buildings are no longer habitable in their current state. Around 100 people will never be able to return to their homes. The municipality of Sierre, which has set up a relief network, announced this at a media conference on July 5.

"Some of them have already found a home, others are still looking," said Martin. "For the victims who do not have sufficient financial means to pay a higher rent, an additional budget can be granted according to the normal criteria for granting social assistance," she added.