Rescue work in progress House fire in Thusis kills two people

Rescue operations continued into Saturday following a house fire in Thusis, canton of Grisons, Switzerland, which claimed at least two lives and left three others missing. The blaze broke out late Friday night in a multi-storey building, prompting emergency services to respond swiftly. As of Saturday afternoon, search efforts were ongoing, complicated by structural instability in parts of the affected structure. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Friday in a residential building located in the town of Thusis. According to local authorities, the fire originated in the second floor of the property. Fourteen individuals managed to escape the building before it was fully engulfed, though eight sustained injuries, with two requiring hospitalization due to severe conditions. Two victims have been identified as deceased, while three others remain unaccounted for. Emergency responders continue to work under challenging conditions, hindered by the risk of further collapse in sections of the building. Authorities confirmed that the building remained structurally compromised, making rescue and investigative efforts difficult. Police stated that the ground floor housed a restaurant, while the upper floors contained small studios occupied primarily by single occupants from diverse national backgrounds. Firefighters had already begun dismantling the roof of the collapsed stairwell on Friday in order to access the interior of the building more effectively. This process continued through Saturday, supported by specialized equipment including a mobile crane-like vehicle used to assist in the search. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, according to officials. Investigators are working to establish how the blaze began, though no definitive information has emerged as of Saturday. Meanwhile, the identification of the two fatalities is pending, as police explained that human remains would require DNA sampling and comparison before confirmation could be made. This process may take several days, complicating the overall investigation timeline. Emergency personnel, including firefighters and medical teams, remained at the scene throughout Saturday, conducting searches and providing support to those affected by the disaster. Specialized units focused on both rescue operations and determining the origin of the fire. Despite these efforts, parts of the building remained inaccessible due to safety concerns, limiting the scope of the search. Local residents expressed concern over the incident, highlighting the vulnerability of such structures in densely populated areas. While the community awaits further updates, the focus remains on recovering the missing individuals and understanding the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Rescue teams continue their efforts, using advanced tools to navigate the unstable environment and locate any remaining survivors.