Two Seriously Injured in Swiss Power Plant Blast

An explosion occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m. at the Ritom pumped-storage hydroelectric plant in the village of Piotta in Switzerland’s Leventina Valley. Two people were seriously injured.

Police confirmed to Swiss public broadcaster RSI that a serious workplace accident had occurred, affecting part of the facility. Initial reports indicated a partial structural collapse in which two people were injured.

Numerous emergency teams were dispatched to the scene, including firefighters, paramedics from Tre Valli Soccorso and a Rega rescue helicopter. Police cordoned off the area around the power plant.

The exact cause of the explosion is not yet known. Initial assessments suggest the incident may have been linked to an electrical problem with a transformer during a test conducted as part of the facility’s commissioning.

(rsi, bak)