Major warning issued for tourist hotspot after glacier collapse
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
A huge mass of rock and ice has destroyed part of a popular village in the Swiss Alps that was evacuated earlier this month.
A video on social media showed the rumbling mudslide near Blatten, in the southern Lotschental valley of Switzerland, with several cabins partially submerged.
In recent days, the authorities had ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as all livestock from the village, amid fears that a 1.5 million cubic metre glacier above the village was at risk of collapse.
Local authorities were deploying across the area to assess the damage and whether there had been any casualties, Jonas Jeitziner, a spokesman for the Lotschental crisis centre, said.
The retreat of the Alps' glaciers has been well documented.
More than 500 glaciers have already vanished from Switzerland, and the government has warned that the remaining 1,500 will be gone by the end of the century if emissions are not curbed.
It has led to so-called 'last chance' tourism, where visitors flock to see such natural wonders while they still can.
Yes, there has always been natural variation in the size of these frozen rivers.
But Switzerland's glaciers suffered their second-worst melt rate in 2023 after record 2022 losses, shrinking their overall volume by 10% in the last two years, monitoring body GLAMOS said last September.
The 'catastrophic' figures meant they lost as much ice in two years as in the three decades before 1990.
Late last year, scientists warned that a glacier known as 'the doomsday glacier', which has the potential to cause sea levels to rise across the planet, could be on the verge of collapse.
Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) used underwater robots to take new measurements of the Thwaites Glacier, which is the same size as Great Britain or Florida. More Trending
The data suggestsed that the glacier, along with much of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, could be lost entirely by the 23rd century.
Worryingly, if it collapses entirely, the experts say global sea levels would rise by two feet (65cm), plunging huge areas underwater.
In 2023, residents of the village of Brienz, in eastern Switzerland, were evacuated before a huge mass of rock slid down a mountainside, stopping just short of the settlement.
Brienz was evacuated again last year because of the threat of a further rockslide.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Who is hosting Eurovision 2025? Everything you need to know about Michelle Hunziker
MORE: I've watched Eurovision for 45 years — here's my party survival guide
MORE: Eurovision star wants to break 30 year 'curse' that's doomed other singers
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
13 hours ago
- Metro
70,000,000-year-old dinosaur could unlock key cancer discoveries
Scientists believe they could develop new cancer treatments by studying the disease in the remains of prehistoric creatures. Researchers discovered structures similar to red blood cells in dinosaur fossils, which they believe could help better understand tumours and even give rise to new treatments. The ten-year study at Anglia Ruskin University was launched following the discovery of a fossil of a herbivorous Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus – known as a 'marsh lizard' – in Romania with a tumour in its jaw in 2016. Oncologist Professor Justin Stebbing led researchers in a project to see if any parallels could be drawn between the tumour and human cancers. Cancer specialist Dr Biancastella Cereser was part of the team of scientists that conducted a study into the unusual fossil. She told the Independent: 'We contacted the town in Romania, which was very excited to loan us the fossil.' The team then used a 'very, very, very fine drill' and a microscope to look inside the specimen, where they found structures resembling human red blood cells. The development has helped researchers understand 'the role of environment on cancer', Professor Stebbing said. He added that understanding the disease from a 'very ancient perspective' is another piece in the jigsaw. The project in some ways bears a similarity to that of the upcoming Jurassic World movie, which is due to be released in cinemas on July 2. The fourth film in the series follows a group of scientists trying to locate the remains of prehistoric species on an Atlantic island in a bid to create a life-saving drug for humans. More Trending However, after getting stranded on the island, the team discovers it is home to the results of failed dinosaur experiments which have been thriving for decades. They encounter some frightening mutations such as a Distortus Rex – a deformed, alien-like version of a T-Rex with six limbs. But while the claim that dinosaurs can be somewhat resurrected using DNA from their fossils is inaccurate, Professor Stebbing says the discovery of proteins in soft tissues means prehistoric remains could help with the development of better treatments in the future. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Diarrhea left me in hospital – but I never expected my diagnosis MORE: Biden jokes he 'can beat the hell out of' authors on his decline after cancer diagnosis MORE: Adele Roberts facing fresh health issue three years after being declared cancer-free
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
Major health update on astronauts who were stranded in space for nine months
A pair of NASA astronauts who were stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) last year have completed a gruelling 45-day rehab course to readapt to Earth's atmosphere. Butch Wilmore, 62, and Sunita Williams, 59, lost significants amoutn of muscle mass and bone density after spending nine months on the ISS. This left them suffering extreme fatigue, with Ms Williams struggling to get out of bed for weeks after their return in March. Mr Wilmore, who suffered neck and back issues before the flight, said he immediately started suffering problems after landing back on Earth. 'We're still floating in the capsule in the ocean, and my neck starts hurting, while we still hadn't even been extracted yet,' he told the Reuters news agency. Ms Williams added: 'Gravity stinks for a period, and that period varies for different people, but eventually you get over those neurovestibular balance type of issues. 'It's been a little bit of a whirlwind. Because we also have obligations to all of the folks that we worked with.' The pair spent at least two hours a day working with NASA's strength and reconditioning experts on top of their regular workload. They set off last June for what was supposed to be an eight-day test flight for the Boeing Starliner transport craft. It turned into a nine-month stay on the ISS after their space capsule suffered technical issues and had to return to Earth crewless. The pair did not comment on the ins and outs of their problems, but previous comments by astronauts shed some insight onto what they may have experienced. 'After six months to a year, you gradually lose the thick, calloused skin on your feet,' retired Nasa astronaut, Leroy Chiao, told NewsNation Prime in March. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Once the harder skin peels off, the feet are usually left soft and tender he said, adding: 'You kind of have baby feet when you come back.' Until the feet build up hard skin again, which can take from weeks to months, walking can be uncomfortable and even agonising. Another Nasa veteran, Terry Virtz, said he felt 'really dizzy' on landing and struggled with his sense of balance for some time. An astronaut's heart can shrink slightly because the body needs to make less effort to pump blood around. More Trending Their vision can be affected due to fluid shifting around differently and putting pressure on the optic nerve. Psychological effects such as anxiety and depression can also persist. Mr Wilmore said he backed calls for Nasa to fly the Starliner crewless again before its next manned flight. Nasa officials said results from testing planned over the summer will determine the decision. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Six asteroids 'dangerous to Earth' discovered – but could they really hit us? MORE: Twist in search for mysterious 'Planet Nine' in the dark depths of our solar system MORE: The Milky Way will be most visible until this date in the US – here's how to see it
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
Elon Musk unveils plan to colonize Mars fresh off exiting Trump White House
Elon Musk hit the ground running on advancing his mission to colonize Mars, after departing the White House with a strained relationship with the Trump administration. Musk detailed his company SpaceX's plan to send humans to the Red Planet at an event on Thursday. The billionaire said that he plans to launch the first Starship mission with a Tesla Optimus robot aboard, by next year. 'Launching two years later, we would be sending humans, assuming the first missions are successful,' said Musk, according to the Daily Mail. Musk added that SpaceX's facility in Texas will produce 1,000 Starships per year, creating the 'biggest structure in the world' to bring millions of people to Mars. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Largest pharmacy chain in US closing 271 stores in 2025 – see list MORE: Manhunt after ex-police chief who killed mayor's brother escapes jail disguised as guard MORE: People are calling Donald Trump a taco and he really doesn't like it
