Storm in the Stubaital in Tyrol on July 22nd
© picture alliance/dpa/APA | Newspaper photo.At/Daniel Liebl
People were injured in storms in Austria. In Fulpmes in the Stubaital near Innsbruck, two people were swept away in their car by a mudslide, then freed from the vehicle by the fire brigade and taken to a clinic. The Tyrol control center of the APA news agency confirmed corresponding media reports.
Update, 7:27 a.m. – Little hope for missing pastor (60)
People were injured in storms in Austria. In Fulpmes in the Stubaital near Innsbruck, two people were swept away in their car by a mudslide, then freed from the vehicle by the fire brigade and taken to a clinic. The Tyrol control center of the APA news agency confirmed corresponding media reports.
“The whole village is in shock,” Mayor Johann Deutschmann describes the mood in Fulpmes to the Tiroler Tageszeitung on Saturday afternoon. Not only because of the destruction caused by the storm on Friday evening. The people of Stubai are also worried about their pastor, whose white Suzuki was swept away by a 100-meter-wide mudflow on the B183 in the Medraz district. “Our pastor is still missing. There is hardly any hope, we must probably expect the worst,” says Deutschmann. Especially since the missing person’s car was totally destroyed and torn into several parts.
A total of almost 200 fire brigade operations were recorded on Saturday night due to storms, especially in the Innsbruck-Land district. Smaller bridges were torn down, and buildings were also affected. On Saturday, a search was carried out in Fulpmes for other possible victims because eyewitnesses had stated that they had seen two vehicles in the area of the debris flow.
Saturday (July 24):
Update, 9:03 p.m. – search for missing pastor (60) currently stopped
Full press release:
During the search for the missing 60-year-old pastor, only private items (Bible, documents, business cards, etc.) from the Innsbruck water rescue service could be found in the Fulpmes area on the Ruetzbachufer. The search for him is currently on hold. The search can only be continued once the water has calmed down.
The relocated municipal road in the industrial zone area is expected to be passable on both sides again today. The B 183 can be passed in one lane using traffic lights. No significant delays are to be expected as a result.
In addition, it became known today at 3:00 p.m. that yesterday around 9:30 p.m. in Mieders, a car was hit by the rubble masses of the Mühltalbach. According to his own statements, the driver was able to escape from the vehicle in time. The vehicle was subsequently swept into the Ruetzbach. A part of the wreckage of the completely destroyed Toyota pickup is still sticking out of the water in the “Kirchbrücke” area. The driver was unharmed.
Despite the adverse and dangerous conditions, no one was injured.
Press release from the State Police Directorate of Tyrol
first report
The press release in the wording:
Stubaital – Due to storms in the Stubaital with heavy rain and hail, on July 22nd, from around 9.15 p.m., there were several large-scale mudslides, flooding and water damage in residential buildings and accommodation facilities in the municipal areas of Fulpmes, Neustift i. St. and bodice:
Municipality of Fulpmes:
IIn the municipality of Fulpmes, in the district of Medraz – industrial zone, a large mudflow went down, from which the Stubaitalstraße B 183, at StrKm 8.9 in a length of approx. 100 meters, as well as the municipal road “Industriegelände Zone A” running below it were buried. As a result of this event, at least two vehicles were hit and buried by the water and rock masses.
Storm in the Stubaital in Tyrol on July 22nd
The first vehicle and two occupants were pushed a few meters down the valley. The occupants, a 26-year-old Slovak and a 24-year-old Austrian, were rescued with unspecified injuries and taken to the UNI Clinic in Innsbruck.
Part of the second vehicle was found in the Ruetz stream bed and recovered. The driver, a 60-year-old Austrian who was traveling alone, is currently missing.
Whether other vehicles or people were hit by this debris flow is the subject of further investigations and cannot be ruled out. A current search operation with search teams is underway. There are currently no specific notices of departure.
The bridge there was also damaged by the debris flow. Another bridge on the site of the industrial zone over the Margaretenbach was torn down. The alternative road Medraz/Gemeindestraße – industrial site zone A is completely closed.
The Stubaitalstrasse was closed in this area until 2:20 a.m. until the lane was cleared. From this point on, the road is one-lane passable – a traffic light system was installed.
Neustift i. St.:
In the municipality of Neustift i. St., due to the elementary events mentioned, damage and closures of public roads and paths occurred:
Blocking of the municipal roads: Mühlenweg, Oberberg, Bichl, Obergasse
The Oberbergtal was badly affected. There were several large-scale mudslides.
In addition, water ingress or water damage occurred in 20 houses, five of which were accommodation establishments in the districts of Dorf, Kampl and Neder. The water that had penetrated was pumped out by the FFW.
There was also a large-scale power failure in several districts of Neustift i. St.
Municipal area of Mieders:
In the municipality of Mieders, the Stubaitalstraße B 183 was relocated by a debris flow at km 4.8 to 5 and was only partially passable until around 1 a.m.
All of the FFW in the Stubaital and the mountain rescue center “Vorderes Stubaital”, a large contingent of members of the Red Cross, the Innsbruck water rescue service, employees of the “Tinetz” and the state geology department, employees of the Matrei am Brenner road maintenance department and local construction companies with excavators are on duty.
The operations management on site was coordinated by the established crisis operation team with the district captain, the responsible local mayors and the district police commander together with the blue light organizations.
The search in 6166 Fulpmes, along the course of the mudslide in the district of Medraz and further downstream in the Ruetz had to be interrupted overnight due to the risk of further mudslides and the flooding Ruetz and has been continued since the morning hours of today.”
Police summary
Due to the fact that the operations mentioned were not events that overlapped in relation to the municipal boundaries, in Neustift i. St. and formed their own task force in Fulpmes.
As already mentioned, the area most affected by the storm was in Neustift i. St. im Oberbergtal. Large parts of the municipal road from the Bärenbad fraction to Oberriss were washed away here. Accessibility for the emergency services up to the Seduck faction has already been ensured. From Seduck, the restoration work on the municipal road takes one to two weeks at best. Estimated damage to property in the upper six-digit euro amount occurred here alone. Due to a lack of bypass options, the Stöcklen and Oberriss fractions are currently not accessible by road.
This results in the following problems:
- Approximately 30 vehicles belonging to visitors to the hut are currently parked on the Oberriss car park and must remain there until the road is restored.
- There were about 120 guests at the Franz-Senn-Hütte, who could not leave the valley on foot until Seduck. Both the paths to the neighboring huts and the footpath were impassable due to the mudslides. For this reason, 65 people were flown out by the crews of the BMI helicopters “Libelle Tirol” and “Libelle Vorarlberg” on July 23, 2022. The remaining people will be evacuated on July 24, 2022. The evacuation, transport and supply flights continued until 3:50 p.m.
- There are many dairy cattle on the alpine pastures located there. The power lines to the valley were torn down, which is why the cows could not be milked. For this reason, emergency generators had to be flown into the valley by the BMI helicopters.
Miscellaneous:
- There are almost no primary residences in the affected area. The care of the people living there and the animals kept were ensured.
- The restoration of the municipal road is being worked on with the highest priority.
- No emergency personnel were injured during the operation.
- The members of the FFW Neustift i. St. and the BFI Innsbruck, several police patrols from the district, including an alpine policeman, mountain rescuers, as mentioned, the BMI helicopters “Libelle Tirol” and “Libelle Vorarlberg”, employees of the “Tinetz” and the avalanche and torrent control in action.
- The roadblocks below are still in place.
Press release from the State Police Directorate of Tyrol