Rockslide buries Swiss Alps village of Blatten
A huge mass of rock and ice from a glacier has buried most of a Swiss Alps village.
Video on social media and Swiss TV shows homes and buildings in Blatten, in the southern Lötschental valley, partially submerged by a brownish sludge.
Regional police said a 64-year-old man was reported missing, and a search and rescue operation was underway.
The village was evacuated earlier in the week, with about 300 people, as well as all livestock, moved.
"What I can tell you at the moment is that about 90 per cent of the village is covered or destroyed," Stephane Ganzer, the head of security in the southern Valais region, told local TV channel Canal9.
The regional government said a large chunk of the Birch Glacier above the village broke off, causing the landslide.
It also buried the nearby Lonza River bed.
"There's a risk that the situation could get worse," Mr Ganzer said, alluding to the blocked river.
He said the army was mobilised after earlier indications that the movement of the glacier was accelerating.
At a news conference, Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti lamented "an extraordinary event" and said the government would take steps to help villagers who lost their homes.
Swiss glaciologists have repeatedly expressed concerns about a thaw in recent years, attributed in large part to global warming, that has accelerated the retreat of glaciers in Switzerland.
The landlocked Alpine country has the most glaciers of any country in Europe.
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 community.
Brienz was evacuated again last year because of the threat of a further rockslide.
AP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
a day ago
- Daily Telegraph
Suicide pod doctor dies after ‘strangling' claim
Don't miss out on the headlines from Innovation. Followed categories will be added to My News. A prominent euthanasia advocate has died months after he was detained by Swiss authorities on suspicion of strangling the first person to use a controversial 3D-printed 'suicide capsule' after the device allegedly failed to work. Dr Florian Willet, 47, died in Germany on May 5, according to an obituary by Australian right-to-die activist Dr Philip Nitschke posted on the website of The Last Resort, the assisted dying group founded by Dr Willet. 'He is dearly missed,' Dr Nitschke wrote. Dr Nitschke, the founder of pro-euthanasia group Exit International, is the inventor of the 'Sarco' capsule, which was used by a chronically ill US woman in a Swiss forest on September 23 last year. Dr Willet was the only person present for the death and called police who later took him into custody. The 'Sarco' cost $1.5 million to develop, according to Dr Nitschke, and allows a person sitting reclined in a seat to push a button that floods the chamber with nitrogen gas. Within minutes, the user is supposed to slip into unconsciousness before they die of suffocation. On October 26, Dutch newspaper Volkskrant reported the Swiss prosecutor had indicated in court that the 64-year-old woman might have actually been strangled. Dr Nitschke said 'this allegation has no foundation'. He said Dr Willet was held in pre-trial detention for 70 days until December 2. Dr Florian Willet has died in Germany. Picture: Supplied 'When Florian was released suddenly and unexpectedly from pre-trial detention in early December 2024, he was a changed man,' he wrote. 'Gone was his warm smile and self-confidence. In its place was a man who was deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation. In the early days of 2025, Florian 'fell' from the third floor of his Zurich apartment building. He would spend the following three months undergoing surgery and in rehab in Switzerland. During this time he was cared for by a full psychiatric team.' Dr Willet's psychiatric discharge report in January stated that he was suffering from 'an acute polymorphic psychotic disorder (F23.0) which is currently subsiding under antipsychotic therapy, and which has developed following the stress of the pre-trial detention and the associated processes', according to Dr Nitschke. 'Florian's spirit was broken,' he wrote. Euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke and his Sarco pod. Picture: Supplied 'He knew that he did nothing illegal or wrong, but his belief in the rule of law in Switzerland was in tatters. In the final months of his life, Dr Florian Willet shouldered more than any man should. He was bravely present when the Sarco was used. Everyone needs a Florian by their side in their final moments. Florian has now paid the ultimate price — his life — for his compassion. Florian will live forever in our hearts.' Dr Nitschke first broke his silence on the controversy in a November interview with the Associated Press, telling the wire service he was 'desperate' about the plight of Dr Willet. 'It is absurd because we've got film that the capsule wasn't opened,' he said. 'She got in herself, pressed the button herself.' Other people were also arrested after the woman's death, including a journalist with a Dutch newspaper, but were later released. Dr Nitschke said the woman, from the US midwest, had 'compromised immune function' that made her 'subject to chronic infection'. In a separate interview, Dr Nitschke said Dr Willet had told him the death had been 'peaceful, fast, and dignified'. Dr Nitschke said he had been told the pod's use would be legal in Switzerland, one of the few countries foreigners can come to legally end their life. — with NCA NewsWire Originally published as Suicide pod doctor dies after 'strangling' claim
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Suicide pod doctor dies after ‘strangling' claim
A prominent euthanasia advocate has died months after he was detained by Swiss authorities on suspicion of strangling the first person to use a controversial 3D-printed 'suicide capsule' after the device allegedly failed to work. Dr Florian Willet, 47, died in Germany on May 5, according to an obituary by Australian right-to-die activist Dr Philip Nitschke posted on the website of The Last Resort, the assisted dying group founded by Dr Willet. 'He is dearly missed,' Dr Nitschke wrote. Dr Nitschke, the founder of pro-euthanasia group Exit International, is the inventor of the 'Sarco' capsule, which was used by a chronically ill US woman in a Swiss forest on September 23 last year. Dr Willet was the only person present for the death and called police who later took him into custody. The 'Sarco' cost $1.5 million to develop, according to Dr Nitschke, and allows a person sitting reclined in a seat to push a button that floods the chamber with nitrogen gas. Within minutes, the user is supposed to slip into unconsciousness before they die of suffocation. On October 26, Dutch newspaper Volkskrant reported the Swiss prosecutor had indicated in court that the 64-year-old woman might have actually been strangled. Dr Nitschke said 'this allegation has no foundation'. He said Dr Willet was held in pre-trial detention for 70 days until December 2. 'When Florian was released suddenly and unexpectedly from pre-trial detention in early December 2024, he was a changed man,' he wrote. 'Gone was his warm smile and self-confidence. In its place was a man who was deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation. In the early days of 2025, Florian 'fell' from the third floor of his Zurich apartment building. He would spend the following three months undergoing surgery and in rehab in Switzerland. During this time he was cared for by a full psychiatric team.' Dr Willet's psychiatric discharge report in January stated that he was suffering from 'an acute polymorphic psychotic disorder (F23.0) which is currently subsiding under antipsychotic therapy, and which has developed following the stress of the pre-trial detention and the associated processes', according to Dr Nitschke. 'Florian's spirit was broken,' he wrote. 'He knew that he did nothing illegal or wrong, but his belief in the rule of law in Switzerland was in tatters. In the final months of his life, Dr Florian Willet shouldered more than any man should. He was bravely present when the Sarco was used. Everyone needs a Florian by their side in their final moments. Florian has now paid the ultimate price — his life — for his compassion. Florian will live forever in our hearts.' Dr Nitschke first broke his silence on the controversy in a November interview with the Associated Press, telling the wire service he was 'desperate' about the plight of Dr Willet. 'It is absurd because we've got film that the capsule wasn't opened,' he said. 'She got in herself, pressed the button herself.' Other people were also arrested after the woman's death, including a journalist with a Dutch newspaper, but were later released. Dr Nitschke said the woman, from the US midwest, had 'compromised immune function' that made her 'subject to chronic infection'. In a separate interview, Dr Nitschke said Mr Willet, who was the only person present for the death, had told him it had been 'peaceful, fast, and dignified'. Dr Nitschke said he had been told the pod's use would be legal in Switzerland, one of the few countries foreigners can come to legally end their life.
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Victoria's ski season kicks off amid tough conditions in the mountains
Victorian skiers are likely to be treated to snowfall on the alps this weekend as they celebrate the 2025 ski season opening. But with a mild winter forecast and even warnings of mid-year bushfires, alpine enthusiasts and industry experts say the snowy regions are at the frontline of climate change. The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range winter forecast for 2025 showed that while average rainfall was expected for Victoria, warmer than usual winter maximum and minimum temperatures were "very likely". The bureau has forecast snowfall conditions for most parts of Victoria's alpine regions on Friday and across the King's Birthday weekend. But Glen Clark, who operates Traverse Hotham, said successive mild winters had brought his back-country skiing and adventure company to the brink. "We're teetering on the edge of viability after two very tough years, and if we don't get a good season this time, we might have to walk away," he said. "We rely completely on natural snowfall," he said. "Last year, we were able to do zero back-country touring going into snow. "The snowfall was so little and so poor … and the year before wasn't much better." Independent alpine weather commentator Tyson Millar, who is an earth science student and keen back-country adventurer, said ski and snow enthusiasts across Australia were acutely aware of seasonal conditions in recent years. "In these communities, it's actually very front of mind to be climate aware and the understandings of those impacts," he said. Mr Millar said the topography of the Victorian Alps compared to their NSW counterparts could also make them more vulnerable to shifting climate conditions. "[Victoria] is somewhat lower than the Snowy Mountain range," he said. "Those mountains are quite prominent. The land mass around it drives what we know as orographic lift; it's a critical point for the snowy region. "That lift helps with convection and moisture and ultimately precipitation and snowfall. "It's a bigger hurdle for westerly winds to overcome, and we see disparity between NSW and Victoria in that regard." Lily O'Neill is a director at Protect our Winters Australia and a legal researcher at the University of Melbourne. Dr O'Neill lives in the alpine community of Bright, Victoria. She said residents were hyper-aware of the fragility of recent snow seasons. "What we're seeing from the climate science is that mountains in Australia are very vulnerable," Dr O'Neill said. "We were never that cold to begin with. "When you hit that 1.5 to 2 degrees warming, the really fragile eco-systems that exist on the mountains will be completely trounced." She said Australia's alpine regions were not adequately protected by federal legislation. "There's no ability to consider climate change when you're looking at new fossil fuel projects under Australia's federal climate laws," she said. "We lawyers call it a climate trigger — there's no climate trigger." Holiday-makers setting off on their long weekend camping trips in the alps are being warned about the risk of unattended campfires. A recently published report showed areas of southern Australia already hit by ongoing drought conditions could face heightened fire risk this winter. Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said even during winter, a poorly managed campfire could cause serious damage to the environment. "This season, we've responded to more than 370 incidents involving campfires," he said.
