Watch: Glacier Collapse Buries 90% of Alpine Town in Seconds
A Swiss village named Blatten has been nearly completely destroyed after a glacier collapsed, burying the community under dirt and debris. The disaster unfolded when the glacier detached from the mountainside, leading to its swift descent into the village, wich has a population of around 300.Authorities had anticipated this catastrophe and had evacuated residents as well as livestock days prior, but despite their efforts, a 64-year-old man remains missing and search operations have been temporarily halted amid concerns of further landslides.
Experts had noted the glacier’s instability, which was believed to have been exacerbated by rockfalls adding weight to it. The Birch Glacier, unlike others in the region, had been advancing over the past decade, leading to this unexpected and catastrophic event. local government officials described the damage as “considerable,” and the situation is further complicated by potential flooding from a lake formed behind debris blocking the River Lonza.Precautionary measures are in place for downstream villages as the threat of additional flooding looms.
A Swiss village has all but been wiped off the map after a glacier collapsed, burying Blatten in dirt and debris.
The massive glacier detached Wednesday and plunged down a mountainside upon the 300-person village covering almost all of it, according to NPR.
The disaster had been feared, leading Swiss authorities to evacuate the community on May 19. The airlift took sheep and cows to safety.
Officials said a 64-year-old man was reported missing, and amid uncertain conditions and fears of more landslides, the search for him was suspended.
🔴 Toujours à #Blatten [CH] en #Suisse , de très grandes quantités d’eau s’accumulent derrière les millions de mètres cubes de “roche” ⚠️ Les villages en contrebas craignent un raz-de-marée imminent… (via ©Pomona) pic.twitter.com/HlEKVuf62k
— Météo Franc-Comtoise (@MeteoFrComtoise) May 28, 2025
“What happened is the unthinkable, the catastrophic worst-case scenario,” said Christophe Lambiel, a specialist in geology and glaciers at the University of Lausanne.
Lambiel said rockfalls from the mountain on the glacier were a signal that trouble was coming, but the total collapse of the glacier was not expected.
Lambiel said the Birch Glacier was different than others in the region.
“It is the only glacier that has been advancing for the past decade,” he said. “All the others are receding.”
🔴 Effroyables images depuis la Suisse, tournées ce mercredi après-midi… Des millions de mètres cubes de glace et de roche viennent de détruire le village (évacué) de Blatten [CH], dans le Valais…🇨🇭(©PomonaMedia) pic.twitter.com/BCxH7ywv5T
— Météo Franc-Comtoise (@MeteoFrComtoise) May 28, 2025
He said the glacier advanced due to rocks falling on it, adding weight and pressure to the glacier.
About 4 million cubic yards of debris had piled atop the glacier, Raphaël Mayoraz, head of the local government’s Natural Hazards Service, explained.
The Valais local government said the Birch Glacier had almost entirely collapsed above Blatten, leading to several yards of ice and rock covering the village.
“The damage is considerable,” a government news release said.
“Nature is stronger than human beings and mountain people know this well,” Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti said. “But what happened today is absolutely extraordinary. It was the worst we could’ve imagined.”
Blatten’s Mayor Matthias Bellwald said, “The unimaginable has happened” but tried to sound a note of optimism, according to the BBC.
“We have lost our village, but not our heart. We will support each other and console each other. After a long night, it will be morning again,” he said.
Water trapped behind the debris from the blocked River Lonza has authorities worried about possible flooding, according to Reuters.
A lake had formed behind the wreckage from the glacier’s collapse, although officials said some water was draining through the debris.
However, officials have put two villages downstream on alert in case the situation worsens and an evacuation is necessary.
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