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Video shows terrifying moment avalanche slams into passenger train near ski resort

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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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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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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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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.

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.

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2 skiers killed in avalanche on popular Mont Blanc skiing route near French-Swiss border

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Two skiers were killed and another injured Sunday when an off-trail avalanche tore through a popular freeride route on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif near the French-Swiss border, officials said.

Three skiers were swept up in the Sunday morning slide along the Couloir Vesses, a well-known off-piste route in Courmayeur’s upper Val Veny, according to Italy’s Alpine Rescue, The Associated Press reported.

Search and rescue operations involved 15 rescuers, three canine units and two helicopters. One victim was transported to a hospital in serious condition but later died, the agency said.

Authorities said another person was partially buried in an avalanche in Trentino but was pulled to safety by companions.

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The deadly slide comes amid a particularly dangerous stretch in the Italian Alps. Italy’s Alpine Rescue said last week that 13 backcountry skiers, climbers and hikers died in the Italian mountains in the week ending Feb. 8 – a record toll – with 10 of those deaths caused by avalanches linked to an unusually unstable snowpack.

Officials said recent storms have dumped fresh snow onto fragile underlying layers, while strong winds have created unstable drifts, producing hazardous conditions across the Alpine arc bordering France, Switzerland and Austria.

The main issue is caused by "persistent weak layers in the snowy cloak, often covered by fresh snow or wind, conditions that make detachments unpredictable and easily triggered even by the passing of a single skier or alpinist," the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps said. "The dangerous points are many and difficult to identify, even for an expert."

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Federico Catania, a spokesperson for Italy’s Alpine Rescue Corps, said recent snowstorms have drawn visitors eager to take advantage of fresh slopes, "and as a result, the number of accidents, and therefore fatalities, has increased proportionally," The AP reported.

Courmayeur, a town of roughly 2,900 residents, sits about 200 kilometers – or 124 miles – northwest of Milan, a host city for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

The incidents occurred as the Winter Olympics were kicking off in the region on Feb. 6.

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Authorities stressed that competition sites – located in Lombardy near the Swiss border, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto and Val di Fiemme in Trentino – remain safe, well-maintained and closely monitored.

"There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and, in particular, no risks to the Olympic sites," Catania said previously. "All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events."

Prior to the start of the Winter Olympics, Vigili del Fuoco said crews would maintain safety measures for all visitors to the sites.

Fox News Digital’s Bonny Chu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Record-setting wave of mountain deaths rocks Italy after avalanches strike

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Rescuers in Italy reported Monday that at least a dozen skiers, climbers and hikers died over the past week in a record-setting tragedy in the country’s mountainous terrain.

While authorities said 11 of the 12 victims were killed in avalanches triggered by exceptionally unstable conditions on ungroomed backcountry slopes, The Associated Press reported a total of 13 deaths.

The incidents occurred just as the Winter Olympics began in the region last Friday. Authorities stressed that the game sites — located in Lombardy on the Swiss border, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto and Val di Fiemme in Trentino — remain safe, well-maintained and closely monitored. 

Italy’s specialist mountain rescue organization revealed the fatal disasters were caused by weak layers of fresh snow, unstable enough that the passage of a single person could trigger an avalanche.

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The main issue is caused by "persistent weak layers in the snowy cloak, often covered by fresh snow or wind, conditions that make detachments unpredictable and easily triggered even by the passing of a single skier or alpinist," the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps said. "The dangerous points are many and difficult to identify, even for an expert."

The country’s Alpine Rescue Corps spokesperson, Federico Catania, added that recent snowstorms have prompted visitors to take advantage of the fresh slopes, "and as a result, the number of accidents, and therefore fatalities, has increased proportionally," the AP reported.

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Italy’s national fire and rescue service, Vigili del Fuoco, reported that, over the weekend, two people died and one was seriously injured in Alpe Meriggio in Valtellina after being caught in an avalanche that fatally buried at least one of the victims.

The Associated Press also reported that three people died in avalanches in Trentino and one in neighboring South Tyrol.

Another two were reportedly killed in separate avalanches near the Marmolada glacier, two hikers along the Apennine range and an ice climber in Valle d’Aosta.

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Outside such regions, Catania said people skiing in managed areas should not face any significant risks, the AP reported.

"There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and, in particular, no risks to the Olympic sites," Catania said. "All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events."

Prior to the start of the Winter Olympics, Vigili del Fuoco said that crews would maintain safety measures for all visitors to the sites.

"For the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Italian National Fire Brigade has implemented an enhanced rescue structure to ensure the safety of athletes, delegations, spectators, and citizens, while also ensuring the continuity of the regular service," the organization said.

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