Fear in Switzerland, due to an explosion that occurred today, September 9, in a hydroelectric power plant. There would be injuries. The plant involved in the accident is the Ritom plant in the Canton of Ticino. According to information from Swiss TV, part of the structure collapsed and there were at least two people involved.
The explosion and the collapse
The Ticino cantonal police confirmed the news. The extent of the accident is currently unclear. The number of injured or their conditions are not officially known. Local authorities simply say that “patrols are in action, but it is premature to provide further details. Some people may have been involved”.
The firefighters, the men from Tre Valli Soccorso and the police are intervening and have isolated the area.
The Ritom power plant
This is an important hydroelectric power plant that uses the waters of the nearby Ritom lake to produce electricity for the Gotthard railway line. The historic plant has a power of 44 MW and produces approximately 155 million kWh per year. It supplies approximately 8% of the energy that is consumed annually for train traction in Switzerland.