Glacier collapse buries Swiss village
NewsFeed Glacier collapse buries Swiss village
Video shows the moment part of a glacier collapsed on to the Swiss mountain village of Blatten, which had already been evacuated due to concerns about rockslides.
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Guatemalan authorities have ordered the evacuation of hundreds of people, after Central America's most active volcano spewed gas and ash thousands of metres into the sky. According to an emergency bulletin issued late on Thursday by the country's National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), Volcan de Fuego (Volcano of Fire) emitted hot gases and volcanic matter that was registered up to 7km (4 miles) from the site of the eruption. Residents from communities near the volcano, which is located some 35km (22 miles) from the capital, Guatemala City, were told to move to shelters. Juan Laureano, spokesperson for CONRED, said at least 594 people were moved to shelters from five communities in the Chimaltenango, Escuintla and Sacatepequez areas, The Associated Press news agency reported. Given the volcanic activity, the number of evacuees was expected to rise. The government has suspended classes at 39 schools and closed a road linking the south of the country to the colonial city of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, CONRED said. Images posted on social media showed fiery lava flowing from the volcano and a mix of ash, rocks and water raging down the volcano's slopes following the eruption. CONRED said the mix of ash and gas spewing into the sky was affecting several communities situated to the northwest, west, and southwest of the volcano. Guatemala's National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) said the volcanic activity is expected to last for 40 hours. Ash clouds could reach altitudes of between 3,000 and 7,000 metres (2 to 4 miles) with the potential to affect air navigation, according to reports. The 3,763-meter (12,350-foot) Volcan de Fuego is one of the most active in Central America, resulting in several mass evacuations in recent years due to eruptions, including the most recent in March. In 2018, 215 people were killed and more than 200 went missing when rivers of lava poured down the volcano's slopes, devastating a nearby village, following an eruption.
Qatar Tribune
29-05-2025
- Qatar Tribune
Swiss mountain valley faces flood wave following glacier collapse
dpa Geneva A second disaster now looms in a Swiss Alpine region after a glacier above the village of Blatten broke off a day earlier, local authorities said on Thursday. A natural dam - formed by rubble, rocks and ice - has blocked the flow of the Lonza river, causing water to accumulate dangerously behind it. Authorities warn that a sudden breach could unleash a devastating flood or debris avalanche downstream. Most of the evacuated settlement in south-western Switzerland has been buried by the massive amounts of debris that came down with the glacier on Wednesday. But the Lötschental valley, where Blatten is located, now faces the threat of a flood wave. The few houses in Blatten that were not buried by the glacier collapse are already flooded, according to the authorities. In light of the risk, authorities have ordered the evacuation of several houses in nearby settlements as a precaution. 'People have lost everything' Blatten's 300 residents were told to evacuate at short notice last week. A 64-year-old man, who remained in the area despite the order, remains missing. Though early rockfalls had spared the village, many locals hoped this would be another near miss - like similar events in other Alpine regions. This time, however, the worst-case scenario became reality. Beat Rieder, a member of parliament from the neighbouring settlement of Wiler, spoke of a catastrophe of the century on Swiss television. 'It's an event that the valley has never experienced since history began,' he said.
Al Jazeera
29-05-2025
- Al Jazeera
Glacier collapse buries Swiss village
NewsFeed Glacier collapse buries Swiss village Video shows the moment part of a glacier collapsed on to the Swiss mountain village of Blatten, which had already been evacuated due to concerns about rockslides.
