A serious railway accident occurred on Monday morning in the Swiss canton of Valais. A regional train carrying about 80 passengers derailed after being struck by an avalanche. Rescue services confirmed that five people were injured. The incident caused a transport paralysis in the Alpine region, and authorities raised the avalanche danger level to the highest degree due to extreme snowfall.
Regional train accident
A passenger train on the Goppenstein-Hohtenn route derailed after being struck by a snow avalanche on Monday morning.
Casualty count
In the incident, 5 people were injured out of the approximately 80 passengers traveling on the train at the time of the accident.
Extreme weather threat
Authorities introduced the highest, level 5 avalanche warning, forcing residents of Orsières to evacuate their homes.
Transport paralysis
Rail traffic on the route to Brig was suspended, and key road routes in the canton of Valais were closed.
On Monday, February 16, 2026, at around 7:00 AM, a regional train operated by the carrier BLS AG was involved in an accident on the route between Goppenstein and Hohtenn. The cause of the incident was an avalanche that slid directly onto the tracks, leading to the derailment of several carriages. There were approximately 80 passengers on board, though initial reports mentioned 30 people. As a result of the impact, five people were injured, one of whom required immediate transport to the hospital. The rescue operation was hampered by difficult weather conditions and the high altitude of 1,216 meters above sea level. Eight mountain rescue teams, ambulances, and a rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene. The police of the canton of Valais reported that passengers were safely evacuated from the accident site. The weather situation in the region deteriorated rapidly, prompting the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) to raise the warning level to the highest, level five. This is an exceptional situation, signifying an extreme risk of further avalanches, which forced the evacuation of residents in the municipality of Orsières and the closure of key roads in the region. Switzerland possesses one of the most advanced avalanche protection systems in the world, developed intensively since the tragic winter of 1951, when a series of powerful avalanches led to the deaths of nearly a hundred people and the destruction of thousands of buildings. Rail traffic between Goppenstein and Brig was completely suspended. Representatives of SBB announced that disruptions would last at least until Tuesday, until the tracks are cleared and checked for structural safety. Experts warn that sudden warming combined with heavy fresh snowfall has created an unstable layer that could threaten other critical infrastructure objects in the Swiss Alps. 5. poziom — avalanche danger level introduced in the canton of Valais Course of the disaster and rescue operations: February 16, 07:00 — Train derailment; February 16, 08:30 — Rescue operation; February 17, 10:00 — Highest-level alarm