Four People Rescued

Mudslide Drama: Public Bus Swept Away by Mudslide

Four people were briefly trapped inside the bus.(Bild: FF Schnann)

No respite for emergency responders in Tyrol: After around 200 people were trapped on Sunday following mudslides in the Kaunertal Valley, severe storms on Monday evening once again created dangerous situations. In the Stanzertal valley, a public bus was swept away by a mudslide and filled with up to 80 centimeters of water and debris. Four people had to be rescued from the vehicle.

Around 8:20 p.m., following heavy rainfall, several mudslides occurred in the Stanzertal Valley, burying roads in the Schnann and Flirsch areas. The situation was particularly dire on the municipal road between the two towns: there, a public bus traveling toward the valley was caught off guard by the floodwaters and a mudslide.

Water and mud flooded the bus
Within a very short time, water, mud, and debris accumulated on the roadway. The floodwaters penetrated the bus to a depth of up to 80 centimeters. “The 49-year-old driver and three passengers—a 31-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman, and a 14-year-old boy—were trapped in the vehicle and could no longer get themselves to safety,” the police explained.

Firefighters Rescued Those Trapped
Several fire departments responded immediately and were able to free the four trapped individuals from the bus. Fortunately, the three passengers were unharmed. After receiving first aid, the bus driver had to be taken to the hospital in Zams with injuries.

Roads Buried and Closed
The mudslides blocked the B171 and the L68, among other roads. “While the B171 was reopened to traffic by 10:20 p.m. following intensive cleanup efforts, the municipal road between Schnann and Flirsch and the L68 remained closed overnight,” according to law enforcement.

Cleanup efforts will continue on Tuesday as well. Following a fresh assessment of the situation, heavy-duty equipment will be deployed to remove the masses of mud and debris.