A new flash flood occurred on Wednesday in Valais, in the Val de Bagnes. Approximately 200 people were evacuated overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. On Wednesday, late in the evening, a significant increase in the muddy mass on the road and the surroundings of the Dranse was observed upstream of the village of Champsec. At 11:30 p.m., it was decided to evacuate the most exposed part of the village, and eventually the entire village, about 200 people. By 1:00 a.m., a dozen machines were already in action, busy creating dikes to channel the water and mud. Throughout the night, the security teams and machine operators worked tirelessly to contain the flow of the Dranse and the muddy mass. The evacuated people were taken in shelters provided, and some found refuge with relatives. By 5:00 a.m., the Dranse seemed under control, but it remained under high surveillance. The flow of the river was smooth, and work continued. On Wednesday, the Champsec campsite and two hamlets, Le Fregnoley and Les Epenays, downstream of Lourtier, had to be evacuated. The upper part of the valley is inaccessible: the two roads leading there have been closed as a precaution. « A torrent of mud and debris » « Violent storms on the alpine ridges caused the torrent [the Fregnoley, a tributary of the Dranse] to swell, » explained cantonal engineer Vincent Pellissier on Wednesday evening in the RTS Forum program. « When it overflowed, it washed away an old landfill. Mud and debris spilled onto the cantonal road. Cleaning is underway. » The head of the Valais Mobility Service assured that the risk to the population is currently low. The very old landfill is not listed in the register of polluted sites.
