In brief
Late Thursday night, a fire erupted on the second floor of a restaurant‑apartment complex in Thusis, cutting the building to pieces and leaving five people missing and eight injured. Over a hundred firefighters responded, using cranes to open a collapsed stairwell and apply water from nearby streams. Investigation into the cause is ongoing as survivors are transported to hospitals in nearby towns.
A blaze broke out on the second floor of a restaurant‑apartment building in the Swiss Alpine town of Thusis on Thursday night. The fire destroyed the structure, leaving five people missing and eight others injured.
Graubünden cantonal police announced that the incident occurred just after midnight local time (22:00 GMT). Nearly one hundred firefighters arrived at the scene, using a crane to gain access after the stairwell collapsed. They deployed water from nearby streams while suppressing the flames, which rose high and lit up the night sky.
Police said fourteen people escaped the building, with two suffering serious injuries, two with moderate injuries, and four with minor injuries. Those injured were taken to hospitals in neighboring Chur, Thusis, Ilanz and Zurich. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and the public prosecutor’s office is working to determine whether the blaze was accidental or intentional.
The Alpine region of Graubünden (or Grisons) is a popular holiday destination for winter sports and summer nature activities. This incident has drawn heightened attention to the safety of mixed-use buildings in tourist towns.
Image source, Graubünden cantonal police
