DISASTER AREA - RESCUE TEAMS CLEARING SNOW AND ROCK - DOGS SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS - BODY CARRIED AWAY - BULLDOZER CLEARING SNOW - WRECKED EQUIPMENT AND BUILDINGS - AMBULANCE DRIVES AWAY - PAN UP GLACIER.




Initials DS/S/EURO-TELE/WH/SGM


EUROVISION TELERECORDING

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Background: IN THE SWISS ALPS TONIGHT (TUESDAY) A HUGE MASS OF ICE AND ROCK HANGS THREATENINGLY OVER THE SITE OF THE HYDRO-ELECTRIC DAM NEAR ZERMATT, WERE AN AVALANCHE YESTERDAY SMASHED DOWN ON A WORKERS CAMP BURYING 91 WORKMEN.FEARS OF ANOTHER SLIDE HAVE HAMPERED DAY LONG EFFORTS BY A THOUSAND RESCUE WORKERS SEARCHING FOR ANY POSSIBLE SURVIVORS.

THE AVALANCHE, CAUSED BY UNREASONABLE RAIN AND A SUDDEN SPELL OF VERY WARM WEATHER, ROLLED DOWN THE ALLALIN GLACIER SHATTERING HUGE LORRIES AND EQUIPMENT AND BURYING THE WORKERS' CAMPSITE.IT WAS FEARED THAT 103 PEOPLE, INCLUDING TWO WOMEN, WERE MISSING, BUT LATER TWELVE OF THOSE LISTED WERE FOUND SAFE.OF THE 91 MISSING, FIVE BODIES WERE RECOVERED DURING TODAY'S RESCUE OPERATION, AND LITTLE HOPE IS HELD OF FINDING THE OTHERS ALIVE.

MOST OF THOSE TRAPPED BY THE AVALANCHE WERE ITALIANS.THE OTHERS WERE SWISS, AUSTRALIANS, GERMANS AND SPANIARDS.

IN A BID TO DISLODGE THE LOOSE ICE AND ROCK, HELICOPTERS BOMBE THE GLACIER WITH DYNAMITE BUT TO ON EFFECT.WHILE THE BOMBING OPERATIONS WAS CARRIED OUT, THE RESCUE WORKERS PAUSED AND A MEDICAL COLUMN OF FIFTY AMBULANCES MOVED AWAY FROM THE DANGER AREA.THE HUNT WENT ON AND THE AMBULANCES REMAINED ON STAND-BY TO RUSH ANY SURVIVORS TO HOSPITAL.

THE AVALANCHE IS THE WORST IN SWITZERLAND THIS CENTURY, AND THE FIRST IN THIS AREA FOR 100 YEARS - BUT IN THOSE DAYS NOBODY WORKED HIGH UP IN THE GLACIER COUNTRY OF THE SWISS ALPS.