In brief
In the early hours of Thursday, a fire engulfed an apartment‑restaurant in the Swiss town of Thusis, destroying the building and leaving five residents missing and eight others injured. Nearly 100 firefighters were dispatched, working through a collapsed stairwell that required a crane to open the roof. The Graubünden cantonal police confirmed that the blaze originated on the second floor, and the cause remains under investigation. Sixteen people, including those injured, were transported to hospitals in Chur, Thusis, Ilanz and Zurich.
Fire devastates Swiss Alpine town of Thusis
Five people are missing and eight others injured after a restaurant with apartments was "completely destroyed" by fire in the Swiss town of Thusis, police have said.
Initial investigations indicate the blaze broke out on the second floor and the cause is still under investigation, according to the Graubünden cantonal police.
The force said it was called just after midnight local time (22:00 GMT on Thursday) and nearly 100 firefighters responded. The roof had to be opened using a crane after the stairwell collapsed.
Fourteen people escaped the building, of whom two were seriously injured, two suffered moderate injuries and four suffered minor injuries, police said.
People were taken to hospitals in Chur, Thusis, Ilanz, and Zurich.
Police and the public prosecutor’s office are investigating the cause of the fire.
Images: The building as seen from the air shows smoke rising beneath a river, with at least five fire engines parked nearby and on the bridge over the river. Another photo shows the damaged roof lit up by flames during the night, with firefighter water streams dousing the structure. A third image displays the building from a bridge, smoke rising, while firefighting crews pour water onto the exterior.
