Switzerland train derails with several injured

Several injuries are feared 'likely' with a large rescue operation underway after a huge avalanche derailed a passenger train in the Swiss Alps, Report informs via The Mirror.

Around 80 people are thought to have been travelling with the rail service, which had departed the remote town of Brig. It was then struck by an avalanche near Goppenstein in the canton of Valais, forcing several carriages off the line.

Police confirmed that emergency teams were responding to the scene, saying only that injuries were "likely" and that further details would follow, Express noted.

Rail operator Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon (BLS) said the train came off the tracks after a "large avalanche" swept across the line in the Stockgraben area. The company added that passengers were expected to be evacuated soon after.

It is not yet known how many people have been injured, though Swiss outlets have reported that several casualties are expected. The incident comes just five days after another avalanche in the same region, which temporarily cut off a nearby valley from the rest of the country.