SWITZERLAND: SEARCH OF A THIRD BURNT OUT CHALET REVEALS NO NEW BODIES IN APPARENT MASS SUICIDE

Record ID: 646234

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: SEARCH OF A THIRD BURNT OUT CHALET REVEALS NO NEW BODIES IN APPARENT MASS SUICIDE
  • Date: 6th October 1994
  • Summary: CHEIRY AND GRANGES-SUR-SALVAN, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 6, 1994) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) CHEIRY 1. GV POLICE OUTSIDE BURNED-OUT CHALET 0.04 2. GV INTERIOR OF BURNED-OUT HOUSE/ COOKING STOVE/ CAR (2 SHOTS) 0.13 3. GV INTERIOR OF WRECKAGE 0.17 GRANGES-SUR-SALVAN 4. GV MECHANICAL DIGGER WORKING IN WRECKAGE/ INVESIGATORS SEARCHING THROUGH DEBRIS. (2 SHOTS) 0.34 5. GV AREA OF CHALET SEALED BY POLICE 0.37 6. SCU PETROL CAN WITH POSSIBLE BOOBY-TRAP DEVICE ATTATCHED. 0.49 7. WS VIEW OF WRECKAGE 0.53 8. GV POLICE LIFTING BURNED-OUT OVEN FROM DEBRIS 1.01 9. GV NEWS CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 1.10 10. GV POLICE SPOKESMAN FOR FRIBURG AREA BERT KARLEN SAYING THAT IN THE CHALET THEY HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING THERE ARE NO MORE BODIES (FRENCH) 1.38 11. GV EXTERIOR OF BURNT CHALET/ POLICE 1.45 12. CU UNIDENTIFIED FIREFIGHTER SAYING THAT FOUR OR FIVE OF THEM HAD BEEN SHOT IN THE HEAD, BUT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHERS (FRENCH) 1.57 13. GV EXTERIOR CHALET 2.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 21st October 1994 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CHEIRY AND GRANGES-SUR-SALVAN, SWITZERLAND
  • Reuters ID: LVA1QEDWWHY6M6UGF7SLHL1I17OE
  • Story Text: Swiss fire officers searching the ruins of a third burned-out Alpine chalet on Thursday (October 6) said they had found no more bodies to add to the death toll of 50 in Switzerland and Canada.

    "The search in the third chalet is about to end. Contrary to what we had expected there is no trace of any bodies. It is highly unlikely that we will find any," police spokesman Bert Karlen said.

    The fire officers began sifting through the remains of a burned-out Alpine chalet earlier on Thursday, expecting to discover more bodies in an apparent mass suicide by doomsday cultists.

    On Wednesday, firefighters pulled 25 corpses from the smouldering ruins of two chalets in the Alpine mountainside hamlet of Granges-sur-Salvan, and 23 in Cheiry, some 160 kilometres (100 miles) to the north.

    The cause of death of the cult members has not yet been established. One firefighter said that four or five of them had been shot in the head, but he could not comment on the others.

    The victims are all thought to be linked to a Canadian-based religious cult, the Order of the Solar Temple.

    The reported leader of the Order, 46-year-old Doctor Luc Jouret who often billed himself as a "new Christ", has not yet been found.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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