By Timo Kirez
GENEVA (AA) - At least four people have died in recent flooding in the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Valais, according to local authorities.
On Saturday and Sunday nights, heavy thunderstorms and torrential rain caused flooding in parts of Switzerland.
Three people died in a landslide in the Maggia Valley in the canton of Ticino and one person is still missing, the local authorities announced on Sunday.
In Saas-Grund in the canton of Valais, a man was found lifeless in a hotel early on Monday morning after being reported missing by his partner, according to the Valais cantonal police.
According to initial police investigations, the man was presumably surprised by the masses of water.
In addition, a 52-year-old Swiss man has been missing since Saturday evening in the municipality of Binn, also in the canton of Valais.
At a press conference on Monday morning in the Ticino town of Locarno, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis expressed the federal government's support for the affected population and the authorities.
President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd will visit the storm-stricken areas in Valais and Ticino on Monday, as announced on the government website.
In the morning, Amherd will first visit affected areas in the canton of Valais together with Valais State Councillor Frederic Favre, the head of the Department of Security, Institutions and Sport.
In the afternoon, she will travel to Ticino to get an idea of the situation on the ground with President of the Cantonal Government Christian Vitta.
According to the local authorities, hundreds of people were evacuated over the weekend in both cantons, Valais and Ticino.
While the canton of Valais lifted the flood warning on Monday, the cantonal government of Ticino warned of further flooding.