One dead in Swiss floods as Zermatt Alpine resort closed

A man's body has been found after three people went missing when floodwaters swept through the southeastern Swiss town of Misox in the Graubünden Alpine Valley, also known as Grisons .

A violent storm Friday evening caused rivers to overflow, flooding the streets and prompting the evacuation of several dozen residents.

Four people were initially reported missing, but one woman was found under rocks and taken to hospital in the city of Lugano.

The body of a man was found eight kilometers from where he went missing, police announced on Sunday.

Rescuers continue to search for the remaining two people, but a police spokesperson said the likelihood of finding them alive “is low.”

The three people were likely home when floodwaters swept away three homes and three vehicles, police said.

Further west, the Alpine resort of Zermatt was isolated by floodwaters.

Images from the town, located at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn mountain, showed floodwaters raging through the streets on Friday.

The Swiss government weather service said 124 mm (4.88 in) of rain fell in the region on Friday, most of it over a one-hour period.

“This concentration of rain only occurs once every 30 years,” a service spokesperson said.

Rail connections between Visp and Zermatt were suspended and the road between Täsch and Zermatt was closed, leaving the resort completely inaccessible.

The authorities had prepared for some excesses, limiting public access to the banks of the Rhône and its tributaries from Friday.