13,000 tourists stranded in Swiss resort town due to avalanche risk
The town near the Matterhorn has been evacuating tourists.
— -- Snowy weather and an avalanche risk have stranded some 13,000 tourists in a Swiss resort town at the base of the Matterhorn, according to the Associated Press.
Officials from the town of Zermatt said roads were closed and trains services halted because of the snowy conditions and power outtages. Helicopters are transporting people to and from the mountain, though no evacuation order has been announced.
"The situation is actually very calm in the village," Christian Ziorjen from Zermatt Tourism said. "There is no danger for anyone."
A Facebook post from the Zermatt Matterhorn, a tourist information center, said all winter hiking trails and ski areas would remain closed until further notice. It also said officials are working to reopen the railways.
The local police could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Matterhorn is a famous mountain in the Alps, on the border between Switzerland and Italy.