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Video: Massive glacier collapse crashes into Swiss village, buries homes
A glacier collapse buried most of Blatten after a preemptive evacuation; rescue teams are using drones to find a missing man as fears of flooding loom
Rimjhim Singh New Delhi
A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday triggered a catastrophic landslide that buried most of the Alpine village of Blatten in the Lotschental valley. The collapse, caused by the disintegration of the Birch Glacier above the village, sent a deluge of ice, mud, and rock cascading through homes, infrastructure, and the Lonza River.
INCREDIBLE !! Here we are... ???????????? After days of overloading and cracks propagating, Birch Glacier collapsed over Blatten today at 3:24 pm and dammed the Lonza river... Devastating! ???? https://t.co/EgQQjq8YCO pic.twitter.com/gzhf92DRKG
— Melaine Le Roy (@subfossilguy) May 28, 2025
Officials had evacuated Blatten's 300 residents and livestock earlier this month after geologists warned that a 1.5 million cubic metre section of the glacier could collapse, news agency Reuters reported.
About 90 per cent of the village is now buried or destroyed, said Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais region. 'What I can tell you at the moment is that about 90 per cent of the village is covered or destroyed, so it's a major catastrophe that has happened here in Blatten,' Ganzer said.
One missing as search teams deploy drones
One person, a 64-year-old man, is missing. Search teams have deployed drones with thermal cameras in hopes of locating him, Euronews reported.
Drone footage from Swiss national broadcaster SRF showed a vast plain of mud and debris stretching across the village, submerging houses and blanketing the wooded slopes of the valley. The Lonza River was also engulfed, raising fears of flooding from blocked water flows.
'We've lost our village,' said Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten. 'The village is under rubble. We will rebuild.'
Climate change seen as key driver
Officials said millions of cubic metres of material tumbled down when part of the mountain above the glacier collapsed, bringing the ice mass with it. 'An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley,' said Matthias Ebener, a local spokesperson.
Experts pointed to climate change as a factor behind the collapse. Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich, said that warming temperatures are melting permafrost and destabilising mountain slopes. 'Climate change had likely played a part in the deluge,' he said, noting that the extent of the destruction in Blatten was unprecedented in recent Swiss Alpine history.
Switzerland, home to the most glaciers in Europe, lost 4 per cent of its total glacier volume in 2023 alone — its second-worst year on record after a 6 per cent loss in 2022.
Government response and ongoing risk
Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rosti described the disaster as 'extraordinary' and pledged support for affected residents. President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed solidarity, saying on X, 'It's terrible to lose your home.'
Authorities have closed the main road into the valley and urged the public to avoid the area due to ongoing risks. 'There's a risk that the situation could get worse,' Ganzer warned, noting that blocked water flows remain a threat.
The army has also been mobilised in response to earlier signs of glacier instability, underscoring the scale and seriousness of the crisis.
(With Reuters inputs)
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