Mass suicide of Solar Temple followers uncovered in Swiss villas

Swiss authorities uncovered a tragic scene involving 48 members of the apocalyptic Solar Temple cult, whose bodies were located in two separate sites. In Cheiry, a concealed cellar room held 23 victims, while 25 more, including children, were found in three cabins set ablaze near Granges-sur-Salvan, close to the Italian border. Numerous victims bore gunshot wounds, wore ritual robes, and some had plastic bags placed on their heads.

The group, established in 1984 by Dr. Luc Jouret and Joseph di Mambro, claimed that earthly existence was an illusion and that adherents would be reborn on a planet circling the star Sirius. The discovery highlighted the extreme beliefs that drove the coordinated self-destruction.