Swiss village engulfed by landslide, 1 person missing
A local spokesman said one person was currently missing after the landslide near Blatten, in the southern Lötschental valley in the canton of Valais.
The massive landslide was caused after a glacier partially collapsed in the Swiss Alps.
"An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley," said spokesperson, Matthias Ebener.
Authorities had warned days ago that up to five million cubic meters of rock and debris could break off at any moment.
The village's roughly 300 inhabitants were evacuated on May 19 after assessments from geologists established that a rockslide was imminent.
Buildings and other infrastructure in Blatten were hit hard by the rockslide, Ebener said.
BREAKING: Massive Glacier Collapse in Blatten, Valais (Switzerland) – May 28, 2025Over 3.5 million m³ of ice, rock, and snow collapsed from the Birch Glacier, putting 9 million tons of pressure on the glacier.The entire village of Blatten (approx. 300 people) was evacuated in… pic.twitter.com/ntmV35GL8o
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) May 28, 2025
Video shared widely on social media showed the moment the glacier partially collapsed, creating an enormous cloud that obscured part of the mountain as rock and debris came thundering down into the outskirts of the village.
Drone footage showed the rubble of shattered wooden buildings on the flanks of the huge mass of earth in the drone footage.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed her support for those impacted by the landslide.
"It's terrible to lose your home. I feel for the residents of Blatten at this time," Keller-Sutter said on X.
Es ist schlimm, wenn man seine Heimat verliert. Ich fühle in diesen Stunden mit den Bewohnerinnen und Bewohnern von Blatten. pic.twitter.com/BArZbIAQSn
— Karin Keller-Sutter (@keller_sutter) May 28, 2025
Edited by: Zac Crellin
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