A passenger train carrying around 80 people derailed in Switzerland on Sunday morning after an avalanche in the Alps, triggering an emergency response involving ambulances and rescue helicopters.

The incident happened at around 7:00am near the village of Goppenstein in the south-western canton of Valais. Police said several carriages left the tracks and warned that casualties were likely. By 10:00am local time, at least 30 people had been evacuated from the train.

Swiss transport operator BLS AG (Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon) said the derailment was caused by an avalanche that came down in the Stockgraben area. It remains unclear whether the avalanche directly struck the train or destabilised the track and surrounding terrain.

According to reports, the train departed Spiez at 6:12am and was travelling towards Brig when the derailment occurred. Rail traffic on the Frutigen–Brig line has been suspended at least until tomorrow as emergency services continue the rescue operation and investigators assess the scene.

The incident comes amid heightened avalanche danger in Valais. Swiss authorities had issued warnings last week after heavy snowfall and strong winds across the Alps increased instability in the snowpack. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF raised the risk level on 11 February to Level 4 – the second-highest rating on its scale – citing fresh snow falling onto an older, unstable layer, significantly increasing the likelihood of avalanches.

The warning remained in force across multiple regions on 16 February.

The derailment also follows a series of fatal incidents during the busy Alpine ski season. In France, at least four skiers have died in recent days, including two British nationals, highlighting the broader risk across the region as winter conditions remain volatile.