Switzerland Glacier collapse: Two more villages in danger of being wiped out, risk of floods looms
Switzerland glacier collapse
has triggered a disaster that's left much of the Alpine village of Blatten buried under a mountain of ice, rock, and debris. This massive landslide hit on Tuesday, May 28, 2025, after the Birch Glacier gave way, unleashing around 3.5 million cubic meters of frozen mass. Though most of Blatten's 300 residents had been evacuated days earlier, the danger isn't over. Now, two more nearby villages are at serious risk as the rubble blocks a key river and the threat of flooding continues to grow.
What caused the Switzerland glacier collapse and how bad is the damage?
The collapse began around 3:30 p.m. local time when a large section of the Birch Glacier broke away. That sudden movement sent an avalanche of ice and rock crashing into the Lötschental Valley, wiping out nearly 90% of Blatten, according to Swiss officials.
Although no one in the village was injured thanks to early evacuation orders issued on May 19, one man—a 64-year-old local resident—is still missing. Swiss Army troops and rescue teams are continuing search efforts.
The village now sits beneath up to 650 feet (200 meters) of rock and glacier rubble. This isn't just a natural disaster—it's a wake-up call about how fast mountain environments are changing.
Why are more villages in Switzerland now at risk of being wiped out?
The
Switzerland glacier collapse
didn't just destroy Blatten—it also blocked the Lonza River, which flows through the valley. That blockage has created a growing natural dam, leading to serious concerns about possible flash floods.
Live Events
Because of that, officials have evacuated another 16 residents from two villages downstream. Engineers are watching the blocked river closely. If the dam of ice and rock suddenly gives way, it could release millions of gallons of water, sweeping through the valley with little warning.
The risk is real, and the response is urgent. Local authorities say they're using drones, ground crews, and satellite imagery to monitor water buildup and structural shifts in the debris field.
Is climate change making glacier collapses like this more common?
Yes, and Switzerland is already seeing the effects. Scientists say what happened at the Birch Glacier is part of a wider trend linked to rising global temperatures.
According to the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network, glaciers in the region lost about 4% of their total volume in 2023—following a record 6% loss in 2022. That's a combined loss of nearly 10% in just two years. Melting permafrost and weakened glacier ice make these types of collapses more likely.
'We're not just looking at rare events anymore,' a Swiss geologist told AP News. 'This is the new normal for many alpine regions.'
What happens next for the people and villages affected?
Right now, the focus is on safety. Search crews continue to look for the missing man, while local leaders assess how to support evacuated families. Infrastructure teams are preparing emergency flood routes and checking the strength of the natural dam holding back the Lonza River.
Switzerland's federal government is expected to announce support and relief plans in the coming days. Experts say the long-term recovery for Blatten may take years, especially if further flooding or landslides occur.
At the same time, calls for stronger climate action are growing louder. Many local officials are urging global leaders to pay attention—not just to melting glaciers, but to the lives and homes they threaten when they fall.
Economic Times WhatsApp channel
)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
Sikkim landslides: IAF evacuates 33, including two US nationals; rescue ops intensify
Gangtok: Amid relentless rainfall and landslides wreaking havoc across Sikkim, the Indian armed forces have intensified their Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations to aid the affected population in the northeastern state. On Wednesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully rescued 33 people, including two US nationals, from the remote Chaten region of North Sikkim. In addition to the evacuation efforts, the IAF also air-dropped vital relief supplies and inserted National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to assist those affected in the region. "In response to the devastating landslides in Sikkim, Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopters rapidly launched HADR Ops -- air-dropping relief supplies, inserting NDRF teams, and evacuating 33 stranded individuals, including two US nationals, from the remote Chaten region. IAF remains committed to saving lives," the IAF stated in a post on X. Earlier in the day, adverse weather conditions hampered an evacuation mission involving 113 stranded tourists in Lachen. An Mi-17 helicopter, carrying nine NDRF personnel, took off from Pakyong Airport around 6 a.m. but was forced to abort the mission and return mid-air due to poor visibility in the Mangan and Chaten areas. The stranded tourists in Lachen had been cut off for over a day after multiple landslides blocked critical roadways, disrupting access to the region. However, the Indian Army stepped in and is assisting in evacuating 113 tourists from the affected area, restoring foot access to Lachen and continuing efforts to stabilise the situation. In a statement, the Army said, "Army leads search and rescue operations in North Sikkim. Braving extreme weather & hazardous terrain, the Indian Army is assisting locals & stranded tourists in landslide-hit Lachen -- now cut off & without power. Foot access restored. 113 tourists to be evacuated; 30 already airlifted. Every life matters. Every effort continues." Meanwhile, the search continues for six missing individuals in the region. Specialised teams equipped with advanced tools are working in the unstable, high-altitude terrain to locate them. "Search efforts continue for six missing individuals. Despite unstable ground and high-altitude challenges, specialised teams and equipment are on the ground. The Army stands resolute: every life matters, and every effort continues," the Ministry of Defence (MoD) affirmed in a statement. With inclement weather showing no signs of abating, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for North Sikkim, forecasting continued heavy rainfall for the next three days. According to the IMD, districts, including Gangtok, Mangan, Namchi, Pakyong, and Soreng, are likely to face adverse weather conditions in the coming days.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Inside the Swiss valley partially swallowed by a glacier
Days after a natural disaster strikes, you often find survivors combing through rubble for their belongings or shoveling mud out of their crumbling homes. You might see prime ministers walking around the zone offering condolences, or rescue crews operating big, mechanical diggers to clear the scene. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But the Swiss village of Blatten is caught in a kind of post-catastrophe paralysis. Buried under millions of cubic meters of rock and ice debris, it has been all but wiped off the map. And the site is still too unstable for crews to access, almost a week after the Birch glacier collapsed and swallowed the Alpine idyll. "It was like an explosion — like an explosion in my heart," evacuee Daniel Ritler told DW as he looked out over his buried hometown. "We knew immediately that everything was destroyed." "For seconds, there was an emptiness. You could really feel it," he added. "There was still a bit of hope, but as soon as the fog cleared, we saw the catastrophe." Evacuated in time Ritler, who kept sheep and ran a tourism business in Blatten, is staying with friends for now. "We lost our house, our stables, and of course, all those memories. We lived in a little paradise," he said. Though the deluge is thought to have claimed one life, Ritler and the other roughly 300 residents were evacuated in time. And many here feel lucky to be alive — aware that a similar event in a less wealthy country could have wrought even more damage. We meet him in Wiler, 3.5 kilometers (2.1 miles) from Blatten and the closest accessible point to the disaster zone, which is now serving as a crisis coordination hub. Here, the usual Alpine soundtrack of birdsong and the river rushing down the valley is drowned out by helicopters taking off, transporting scientists and geologists to survey the damage aerially, and assess the risk of further fallout. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Mountain populations 'more and more threatened' One of those experts is glaciologist Saskia Gindraux. "We had a lot of rock and silt and sediment going onto a glacier, and this mass caused the glacier to really push forward — and everything just went down the valley," she explained. The Swiss scientist told DW that a "coincidence of causes" led to the collapse. "It's hard to say this is linked to climate change and this one is not. It's hard to put a label on an event, but we are facing really high temperatures here in the Alps," she told DW. "It's twice the normal increase of other parts of the world," she added. Alpine glaciers have been retreating for decades, which Gindraux said makes the rock less stable. "That's one cause ... The other one is maybe permafrost that is melting, and the other one, the geology." "With climate change, we saw that the oldest natural hazards, so rock fall or glacier collapse or landslides, etc, they increase in frequency." "The population in the mountains are more and more threatened with these types of events." Fears neighbors 'won't come back' Aside from the hum of helicopters, the streets of Wiler are quiet. Local resident Alex Rieder is packing up his car: Two black bin bags full of clothes and other basics for his neighbors who have found themselves suddenly homeless. "Will they be compensated for the belongings they lost?" he wondered. "That has to happen quickly. Now because people need money to live. Because if they're gone for 10 or 20 years, they won't come back," Rieder told DW. Rieder fears for the future of life in this part of the Alps. "There's only one school left in the entire valley," he said. Inside his garage, Rieder shows us masks he helped craft for the local carnival — just one of many traditions dating back centuries here. He knows that if more people leave, this cultural heritage will become harder and harder to hold onto. But asked if he thinks it will disappear entirely, Rieder is defiant. "Traditions will never die. That will be the last thing. Because that's what gives people the most strength." No more evacuations planned No further evacuations are planned in nearby towns or villages for now. But they remain on high alert. Some 45 minutes' drive away in Gampel, flood prevention measures are in place, with some smaller bridges deliberately deconstructed to avoid further fallout. "We now have to see how the dangers develop further at the site of the damage. Rock masses could continue to fall from the mountain — and we have to keep monitoring how the danger develops in terms of the course of the river," regional president Christian Rieder told DW on Sunday. "Depending on how the danger develops ... we will take further measures," he added. The situation was "stable' on Monday with "no notable changes" at the Birch glacier, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS. But smaller landslides continue, and there has been "no improvement" to allow crews to enter the zone securely. 'We have to find a new purpose' For survivors whose homes and livelihoods are buried in a greyish-brown debris, which authorities say is 100 meters (328 feet) deep in some areas, it's clear there's no going back. From the drivers' seat of his van, with the views of lush mountain landscapes filling the windows and wing mirrors bearing the disaster that unfolded here, evacuee Daniel Ritler told DW it is hard to imagine what life after Blatten might look like. "I built a farm from scratch, always adapting to the challenges of the future," he said, adding: "That was before." "Now we have to find a new place to live and a new purpose. And it will certainly take some time until we can find our way again."
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Sikkim landslide: Lt. Col., his retired IAF officer wife among six missing
GUWAHATI: A Lieutenant Colonel and his retired Squadron Leader wife are among six individuals still missing after a landslide struck a military camp in northern Sikkim's Chhaten on Sunday evening (June 1, 2025). The missing are Lt Col. Pritpal Singh Sandhu, retired Indian Air Force officer Aarti Sandhu, their daughter Amayra Sandhu, Subedar Dharamveer, Naik Sunilal Muchachary, and Sepoy Sainudheen P.K. 'Search operations continue with urgency to locate the six individuals still missing. The Army has deployed specialised teams and engineering equipment, but the ongoing efforts have been significantly hampered by extremely bad weather, unstable ground, and the challenging high-altitude terrain,' a Defence Ministry statement said on Wednesday (June 4, 2025). Guwahati-based Defence spokesperson, Lt Col. Mahendra Rawat, said Army teams have been defying extreme weather conditions and a hazardous terrain to assist locals and stranded tourists. 'Lachen village, the main hub for tourism in the region, has been completely cut off. The Army has established foot connectivity to the village and reached out to 113 stranded tourists, who will be evacuated soon,' he said. Thirty tourists, including some foreign nationals, were airlifted by military helicopters after the weather eased on June 3. Landslides and rockfalls have been the major killers since the early monsoon rains began battering all eight northeastern States from the last week of May. Landslides claimed more than 70% of the 47 human lives claimed by rain-induced disasters across the region. Over 800 incidents of landslides have been recorded across the region, with Mizoram accounting for 644 of them, followed by Nagaland with 93. Landslides, landslips, and rockfalls have cut off many strategic locations in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. On the brighter side, the number of people affected by floods in Assam decreased by 16,008 from 6,33,144 recorded on Tuesday. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority's morning flood bulletin on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) 6,17,136 people remain affected by floods across 20 districts. The number of districts hit on Tuesday was 21.
