Swiss Shut Down By Heavy Snow

Switzerland's main north-south highway was closed Friday by heavy snow and avalanches, which also cut off popular Swiss resorts.

A sudden thaw has also increased the chance of more avalanches, after more than three feet of snow fell in the past two days.

Authorities in central Switzerland said mountain barriers designed to prevent avalanches were full and would not be able to hold any more snow.

A massive snow slide crashed onto railway lines just outside the southern Swiss town of Zermatt late Thursday, damaging power cables. The city's resort was without electricity for most of the night and was cut off from road and rail travel.

Well-known ski resorts such as Grindelwald and Adelboden in the Bernese Oberland and Leukerbad in the Valais Alps also were cut off, stranding thousands of tourists at one of the busiest times of the year.

The Gotthard highway, which is a key route between the north and south, was expected to stay closed until at least Saturday because of the risk of avalanches. Plans were under way to divert all trucks through Austria.

Swiss Defense Minister Adolf Ogi called in the air force to help deliver supplies to isolated communities and help with evacuations.

Hundreds of people had to leave their homes Thursday because of the risk of avalanches.

There were no reports of any casualties.