Helicopters are airlifting stranded holidaymakers from the upmarket Swiss ski resort of Zermatt after about 13,000 tourists were stranded in the mountain village for two days by heavy recent snowfall and an exceptional risk of avalanches.
Local police said the airlift was taking about 100 people an hour who urgently needed to leave Zermatt to the nearby village of Täsch, a three minute flight, from where rail replacement buses were available for their onward journey.
The resort said on its website that ski slopes, hiking paths and cable cars around the village remained closed. It advised people to follow instructions and stay at home so as not to hamper the ongoing clear-up operation.