On the road in the devastated Misox Is the destroyed village lost forever?

The devastation in the Misox is enormous, with debris flows occurring in several places in the valley. The municipality of Lostallo and the hamlet of Sorte were hit particularly hard and will probably have to be abandoned.

Using heavy equipment, aid workers are clearing boulder after boulder out of the way. It will be weeks, if not months, before the houses in Sorte GR are freely accessible again.

Even four days after the catastrophic mudslide, helpers and residents are still faced with a picture of destruction: the debris avalanche has covered the entire width of the small hamlet and devastated it.

Whether life will ever return to the village is anything but certain at the moment. "I don't know if we'll be able to build there again," says municipal president Nicolas Giudicetti.

Solidarity in the valley is huge, as Giudicetti confirms. The community also receives a lot of support from outside. What is now most important in the clean-up work?

"We still have hope of finding them"

First of all, the catch basins need to be emptied again so that the valley is prepared for new heavy storms. In addition, together with the forestry office, they have defined where the debris and driftwood can be deposited permanently.

Two people are still missing in Sorte. The security forces are still feverishly searching for the people. "We still have hope that we will find them," says Daniele Corecco, spokesman for the local fire department.

In the meantime, the residents and their relatives have been allowed to return to their homes for a short time. Enough time to take a few belongings with them. No one can say for sure at the moment whether they will ever be allowed to return completely.