Train derails in Switzerland, injuring five amid avalanches in the Alps

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by Elizabeth MelimopoulosFebruary 17, 2026 at 05:02 AM

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On February 17, 2026, a regional train derailed near Goppenstein in southern Switzerland, injuring five people. The accident occurred at an altitude of 1,216 meters amid heavy snow and a level four avalanche warning. Initial findings suggest an avalanche may have crossed the tracks just before the train passed. The public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the incident. This event follows several deadly avalanches in the Alps, including one in Val d'Isere, France, that killed three skiers and a record 13 backcountry skiers, climbers, and hikers who died in Italy over the previous week. Unstable snowpack conditions due to fresh snowfall and windswept snow have created dangerous conditions across the Alpine region.