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The frightening moment an avalanche thundered down a mountainside and slammed into a train traveling through the Swiss Alps was captured by a tourist.
The dramatic incident unfolded on Feb. 17 near the popular ski resort town of Zermatt in southern Switzerland’s Valais canton.
Kirsten Osborne, an Australian woman living in the U.K., was on the train with other passengers when the avalanche suddenly struck, according to Storyful.
She filmed the shocking moment a massive wall of snow barreled down the mountain toward the train.
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A train was struck by an avalanche near Zermatt ski resort in Switzerland’s Valais canton. (Kirsten Osborne/Storyful)
In the video, a child can be heard saying “uh-oh!” several times as the growing wave of powdery snow rapidly approaches.
Within seconds, the train is engulfed in a thick white cloud as the avalanche crashes into it and covers the window in snow, causing the train to shake.
Osborne described how passengers were left stranded for around two hours following the impact.
“We were stuck for two hours before the rescue and provided bus transport to safety,” she said.
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Kirsten Osborne, an Australian woman living in the U.K., was onboard the train when the avalanche struck. (Kirsten Osborne/Storyful)
Despite the terrifying scenes, no injuries were reported.
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, the rail company that operates the route, has since confirmed that all passengers were safely evacuated in coordination with emergency services.
“At around 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning, another avalanche occurred between Täsch and Randa,” the company said in a statement.
“A regional MGBahn train was struck by a resulting powder-snow avalanche. No one was injured. Passengers were evacuated in cooperation with the emergency services.
“As a precaution, and in consultation with external local natural hazard specialists, MGBahn has decided to suspend operations on the St. Niklaus–Täsch route until further notice,” the company said.
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The incident happened amid dangerous conditions in the Swiss Alps. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP, File)
MGBahn also confirmed it was in “close contact with specialists and experts to assess the situation along the entire route network between Disentis (GR) and Zermatt (VS).”
The incident happened amid dangerous winter conditions in the Swiss Alps, where heavy snowfall has impacted the tourist season.
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The avalanche strike on the train came just a day after another rail incident near the town of Goppenstein, where a train derailed, injuring five people.
Local reports indicated that an avalanche may have been a possible cause of that derailment, although investigations are ongoing.
Large areas of the western Alps have been affected this season by avalanche risks, according to The Times.
