An explosion earlier today at the Ritom hydroelectric power plant in the Swiss canton of Ticino left two people seriously injured, Corriere del Ticino reported, citing local emergency services.
The incident occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m. local time on Sept. 9 at the hydropower facility in Piotta, in the municipality of Quinto. According to preliminary media reports, part of the structure collapsed after the explosion, leaving people trapped under debris. At least two suffered serious injuries. Cantonal police, firefighters from Biasca and Upper Leventina, rescue crews, and a helicopter from Switzerland’s air rescue service were sent to the scene.
Cantonal police told Corriere del Ticino that the incident was the result of a “serious workplace accident” affecting part of the hydroelectric plant’s structure. The cause of the explosion and the exact circumstances remain under investigation.
Ritom is strategically important to the power supply of Switzerland’s railways. The 44-megawatt plant, which has operated since 1917, supplies electricity to the rail line running through the Gotthard, one of the main transport corridors across the Alps. The plant generates about 155 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year.
A new Ritom hydroelectric plant is being built nearby to replace the existing facility. It will have a total generating capacity of 120 megawatts. One 60-megawatt turbine will supply power to the railways, while a second turbine of the same capacity will feed the electricity grid in the canton of Ticino. The new plant is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2027.
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) describes the project as strategically important due to growing passenger and freight traffic through the Gotthard and Ceneri Base Tunnels. The new hydropower plant is also intended to provide electricity during emergencies and plays an important role in evacuation procedures for both tunnels.
Ritom SA, the company building the new plant, is 75% owned by SBB and 25% by the canton of Ticino. Authorities have not yet specified which part of the hydropower complex was damaged in the explosion or whether the incident affected the new plant under construction.
