Five people reported missing after fire destroys building in Thusis

Five people are being treated as missing and eight others were injured after a fire gutted a mixed-use building in the Alpine town of Thusis, Swiss authorities said.

Fire started on the second floor; cause under investigation

Initial inquiries indicate the blaze began on the second floor, and investigators have not yet determined the cause, the Graubünden cantonal police said. Emergency services were alerted shortly after midnight local time.

Nearly 100 firefighters responded to the scene to fight the blaze in the building that housed a restaurant and residential apartments. After a staircase collapsed, crews had to open the roof using a crane to reach affected areas.

Police reported that 14 people managed to escape the building. Of those, two were left with serious injuries, two sustained injuries of medium severity and four suffered minor injuries; in total eight people required hospital treatment.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Chur, Thusis, Ilanz and Zurich. Local police and the public prosecutor's office are jointly investigating the circumstances of the fire.

Graubünden, also known in English as the Grisons, is an Alpine region in eastern Switzerland and a popular destination for winter sports and summer outdoor activities.

Photo: press material from the event