From the isolated Saas Valley in Switzerland Hundreds of people were flown out by helicopter. The road to the mountain tourism region around Saas-Fee is no longer passable since a storm and landslide
The airlift was on Friday for around 2,200 stranded tourists Many of the guests come from Switzerland. The flight from Saas-Fee to Stalden, which takes just a few minutes, costs 140 francs (150 euros).
The regional operations team expected around 900 helicopter passengers by Saturday evening. No flights were planned for Sunday. The evacuation would resume on Monday, it was said.
© dpa/Andrea Soltermann
Some, however, tried to leave the valley on foot. These people together with onlookers, obstructed blasting work to restore the road connectionthe task force said. Nevertheless, the blasting of the large boulders was completed.
It is still unclear when the road will be reopened to traffic. The authorities in the canton of Valais expect the route into the valley to remain closed until at least the beginning of the week. (dpa)
