ZURICH: The death toll from a devastating fire that tore through an apartment building in eastern Switzerland has risen to four after rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the wreckage, police said on Sunday.
The fire broke out on Thursday night in a multi-storey building in the town of Thusis, which housed a restaurant on the lower level and residential apartments above.
Authorities initially reported that five people were missing after the blaze completely destroyed the building. One of those individuals was later found alive, while search operations continued over the weekend for the remaining four people inside the partially collapsed structure.
Police recovered two bodies from the debris on Saturday. In a statement issued on Sunday, Graubunden canton police confirmed that the other two missing persons had also been found dead, taking the total number of fatalities to four.
Authorities said the process of formally identifying the victims was still under way, while investigators were also working to determine the cause of the deadly blaze.
Images released by police showed thick smoke billowing from the building as flames erupted from several upper-floor windows and spread to the roof.
Fourteen people managed to escape the burning structure despite the collapse of its stairwell. Eight survivors sustained injuries, including two who were reported to be in serious condition.
