Two hamlets and a campsite in Valais evacuated

The upper part of the valley was inaccessible. Both access roads are closed to traffic from the villages of Champsec and Sarreyer. The alarm app Swiss Altert reported in the evening that it was forbidden to enter the area. It is 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, which had already triggered a debris flow. For the night, the authorities organized 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.

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 RTS radio. 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 municipal crisis team decided to maintain the measures until further notice.