Video: Swiss Village Nearly Wiped Out After Glacier Collapse Causes Catastrophic Landslide

NDTV

29-05-2025

A catastrophic landslide triggered by the partial collapse of the Birch Glacier buried approximately 90% of Blatten, a small Alpine village in Switzerland's Valais Canton, BBC reported. Dramatic footage from May 28 shows massive dust clouds filling the valley as the glacier collapsed, with a torrent of mud and boulders engulfing the hillsides and much of the village, which had a population of around 300.
Authorities had been warning of a potential collapse for weeks due to visible cracks in the ice, and earlier this month, the village of around 300 residents and livestock was evacuated. One person, a 64-year-old man, remains missing, and officials have reported no deaths so far. The Cantonal Police of Valais said that a search and rescue operation was underway for the missing man. The landslide also buried the Lonza River bed, raising concerns about potential flooding from dammed water flows.
Aerial footage of Blatten in Switzerland after glacier collapse. pic.twitter.com/TsmSXhUgIa
— Disasters Daily (@DisastersAndI) May 29, 2025
Breaking:
A glacier collapse has buried the Swiss village of Blatten under mud. 💔
The Lonza River is dammed and large parts of the town have been evacuated.
Tragic — but thanks to early warnings from scientists, lives were likely saved. #Switzerland #Blatten #ClimateCrisis … pic.twitter.com/ryxn8NlALL
— The Curious Quill (@PleasingRj) May 29, 2025
Swiss glaciologists attribute the accelerating glacier thaw to climate change, which has increased the risk of such disasters. The debris, estimated at 9 million metric tonnes, has left the village largely uninhabitable, with recovery expected to take years. Neighbouring villages have also faced partial evacuations due to the ongoing threat of flooding.
"We've lost the village, but not the heart. We will support each other and console each other. After a long night, it will be morning again," said Matthias Bellwald, Blatten's mayor, reflecting the community's resilience amid the devastation.
Martin Henzen, another Blatten resident, said he was still trying to process what had occurred and did not want to speak for others in the village, saying, "Most are calm, but they're affected."
Raphael Mayoraz, a cantonal geologist, noted that while preparations had been made for a natural disaster, they weren't adequate for the scale of destruction caused by the glacier collapse. He warned of potential flooding in downstream villages due to the massive plug blocking the River Lonza's flow.
Local authorities have requested support from the Swiss army's disaster relief unit, and members of the Swiss government are on their way to the scene. Officials said at a news conference on Wednesday that it would take years to recover from the damage, which they were continuing to assess.
A Warning?
The devastating glacier collapse is a stark reminder of the alarming rate of glacier retreat in the Swiss Alps, driven by climate change. Swiss glaciologists have reported unprecedented ice loss in recent years, with 6% of the country's glacier volume disappearing in 2022 and another 4% in 2023.
Raphael Mayoraz, head of natural hazard management in Valais canton, warned that Switzerland is particularly vulnerable to glacier loss, stating, "These events are not just natural — they're warnings." This incident follows the recent discovery of five skier bodies on another Swiss glacier near Zermatt, underscoring the growing risks in alpine regions.