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Graubünden cantonal police received the emergency alert just after midnight local time on Thursday. This timing corresponded to 22:00 GMT. The force reported that the fire originated on the second floor of a building combining a restaurant and apartments in Thusis, prompting the mobilization of nearly 100 firefighters who later opened the roof with a crane once the stairwell had collapsed.
According to the police, 14 people escaped the rapidly spreading flames before the structure was entirely destroyed. Two of the escapees suffered serious injuries while two sustained moderate harm and four sustained minor wounds for a total of eight injured. All of those requiring care were transported to hospitals in Chur, Thusis, Ilanz and Zurich.
The five people still unaccounted for have led to ongoing search operations at the site, a police statement indicated. Both the cantonal police and the public prosecutor’s office have begun a joint investigation into the fire’s cause. Early findings have concentrated on the second-floor starting point although officials have not yet determined a definitive trigger.
Thusis municipal officials arranged temporary accommodation along with meals for those displaced by the incident, local government sources confirmed. This assistance formed part of the immediate community support following the loss of the mixed-use building. The municipality’s actions helped stabilize the situation for affected residents and any visitors in the town.
The Alpine Graubünden region, also known as Grisons, attracts large numbers of tourists for winter sports and summer nature activities, according to regional tourism data. Such events remain relatively uncommon in the area yet illustrate the demands placed on emergency services in historic mountain communities. The swift response highlighted the canton’s established protocols for handling incidents in remote Alpine locations.
Police have withheld further details on the identities of those missing or injured while the search and inquiry proceed. Updates from the authorities are expected in the days ahead as more information emerges from the debris. The public prosecutor’s office continues to collaborate closely with police teams on all aspects of the case.
