Shortly after 6.30 a.m. on Sunday morning, a big bang was heard and smoke was seen rising, according to a woman from the Graubünden canton police. Firefighters responded and found that a rockfall had damaged and buried the road between the Castenada and Molina junctions over a length of about 150 meters.

No one was injured, but the cleanup could take time. It may be days before the road can be reopened. Until then, hundreds of people remained cut off from the outside world in their villages. Large amounts of fresh snow had already led to the closure of several passes in the southern Swiss Alps last week.

Sources: Graubünden cantonal police