In Switzerland, after a glacier collapsed onto Blatten, fear is gripping the mountains
On the still-snowy peaks of the Swiss Alps, the first warm days signaled the start of the snowmelt season, with vibrant spring wildflowers and lush green pastures where cows frolicked . But the idyllic picture ended lower down. The valley floor had been replaced by a monstrous, brown mass: 10 million cubic meters of crushed ice, rock and mud compacted together. The sublime had turned to sinister in a single glance.
It all began in mid-May, when a peak called the Petit Nesthorn came under close watch after worrisome movements on its northern face triggered an initial alert. Debris began falling, piling up on the glacier just below, prompting the evacuation of residents and livestock − "as a pure precaution," according to local authorities − while waiting for the mountain to settle. "We will be able to return very soon," said Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of the 300-resident municipality. But "the unthinkable," as people now call it here, has ultimately shattered that easy confidence.
It took less than 40 seconds for the Birch Glacier, at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, May 28, to bring an end to the 592 years of existence of the village of Blatten, known as much for the geraniums in the windows of its centuries-old larch chalets as for its resistance to mass tourism. In the Swiss Alpine imagination, already rich with legends, this Lötschental valley (in the canton of Valais, southern Switzerland) occupied a special place − a sort of original, Edenic sanctuary. Now, it holds a far darker distinction: It is the first to surrender a village to the combined forces of geology and a rapidly warming planet.
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LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
In Switzerland, after a glacier collapsed onto Blatten, fear is gripping the mountains
On the still-snowy peaks of the Swiss Alps, the first warm days signaled the start of the snowmelt season, with vibrant spring wildflowers and lush green pastures where cows frolicked . But the idyllic picture ended lower down. The valley floor had been replaced by a monstrous, brown mass: 10 million cubic meters of crushed ice, rock and mud compacted together. The sublime had turned to sinister in a single glance. It all began in mid-May, when a peak called the Petit Nesthorn came under close watch after worrisome movements on its northern face triggered an initial alert. Debris began falling, piling up on the glacier just below, prompting the evacuation of residents and livestock − "as a pure precaution," according to local authorities − while waiting for the mountain to settle. "We will be able to return very soon," said Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of the 300-resident municipality. But "the unthinkable," as people now call it here, has ultimately shattered that easy confidence. It took less than 40 seconds for the Birch Glacier, at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, May 28, to bring an end to the 592 years of existence of the village of Blatten, known as much for the geraniums in the windows of its centuries-old larch chalets as for its resistance to mass tourism. In the Swiss Alpine imagination, already rich with legends, this Lötschental valley (in the canton of Valais, southern Switzerland) occupied a special place − a sort of original, Edenic sanctuary. Now, it holds a far darker distinction: It is the first to surrender a village to the combined forces of geology and a rapidly warming planet.
Euronews
5 days ago
- Euronews
Swiss villages on flood alert after glacier collapse buries Blatten
Authorities in southern Switzerland are on high alert as concerns grow over potential flooding along the Lonza River following the collapse of the Birch Glacier earlier this week. A massive avalanche of rock and ice swept down into the Lötschental valley, burying much of the Alpine village of Blatten under mud and debris. Officials report that 90% of the village has been destroyed. The collapse caused debris to fill the bed of the Lonza River, creating a dam and causing a lake to form upstream. Officials warn that if the dam gives way, the resulting surge could flood communities downstream. Authorities have begun dismantling pedestrian bridges and reinforcing critical infrastructure to prepare for possible flooding in Gampel and residents have been advised to arrange emergency accommodation in case of evacuation. "I didn't sleep last night," one woman told reporters. "We were constantly waiting - if something happens, we have to go." To mitigate the risk, authorities have emptied the Ferden dam downstream, hoping it can absorb some of the potential overflow if there is a breach. The Swiss army has been deployed to the region but is currently unable to conduct ground operations due to ongoing instability. In Blatten, the devastation is extensive. Aerial footage shows homes submerged in thick mud, with roads and structures either buried or swept away. Authorities had evacuated more than 300 people, as well as livestock, from Blatten village as a precaution earlier this month, but one man remains missing following the incident. However, local police say the search and rescue operation has been temporarily suspended because of falling debris. President Karin Keller-Sutter visited the region earlier on Friday.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Euronews
Massive glacier collapse devastates Swiss village of Blatten
A massive glacier collapsed down a Swiss mountainside on Wednesday, burying the Alpine village of Blatten, which officials had evacuated earlier this month as a safety measure. Regional police said a 64-year-old man was reported missing, and search and rescue operations involving a drone with thermal camera were under way. 'What I can tell you at the moment is that about 90% of the village is covered or destroyed, so it's a major catastrophe that has happened here in Blatten," said Stephane Ganzer, the head of security in the southern Valais region. Footage shared on social media and Swiss television showed the mudslide near Blatten, located in the southern Lötschental valley, where residences and structures were partially submerged under a large mass of sludge. The regional government announced in a statement that a significant portion of the Birch Glacier located above the village had disintegrated, resulting in a landslide that also covered the nearby Lonza River bed, thereby increasing the risk of dammed water flows. 'There's a risk that the situation could get worse,' Ganzer said, alluding to the blocked river. He added that the army had been mobilised following previous indications that the glacier's movement was speeding up. During a press conference, Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti expressed his sorrow over what he described as "an extraordinary event". He stated that the government would implement measures to assist the villagers who have lost their homes. In the past few days, officials have ordered the evacuation of approximately 300 people, along with all livestock, from the village due to concerns that the 1.5 million cubic metre glacier may be on the verge of collapsing. Swiss glaciologists have consistently expressed concerns about a thaw observed in recent years, largely attributed to global warming, which has accelerated the retreat of glaciers in Switzerland. The landlocked Alpine nation has the highest number of glaciers among all European countries and experienced a 4% loss of its total glacier volume in 2023. This marked the second-largest decrease in a single year, following a 6% reduction in 2022.
