Ardon, Valais apartment building fire
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Two men were killed by fires in separate accidents, one in canton Valais, one in Vaud, over the weekend. Both fires were due to explosions and investigators are seeking the causes of the accidents.
One person dies, another in critical condition after Mies fire
Emergency services were called to number 36 on the Route Suisse (lake road) in Mies Saturday 6 October at 13:20 following an explosion on the ground floor, where two men were working. A fire quickly took over the two empty apartments upstairs, provoking massive smoke.
One of the workers, a 33-year-old local man, managed to get out by himself, and he is in critical condition at the Chuv university hospitals in Lausanne where he was taken by helicopter with severe burns. The other person’s body was found in the debris and was taken to the legal medicine centre in Lausanne for formal identification.
The fire was put out by 14:45, but with difficulty because of the high risk that a number of gas canisters in the area might explode.
Ardon fire Friday night sends 7 to hospital
A strong explosion in a three-storey apartment building in Ardon, canton Valais, Friday night shortly before 21:00 was quickly followed by a fire that sent seven people to hospital. One person was found unconscious and was flown to the Chuv in Lausanne, in critical condition. The others suffered less serious injuries and were taken to local hospitals.
Residents in neighbouring buildings were evacuated and housed elsewhere for the night as a precaution. The cantonal road was closed for two hours.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
