Latest news with #Jean-ChristopheBott
DW
4 days ago
- Climate
- DW
Swiss glacier collapse: Situation stabilizes overnight – DW – 05/31/2025
Water that had accumulated behind the collapsed glacier has began to flow downstream, alleviating some fears. Forecast rain means that residents will likely have to remain alert. with dpa along with Austrian and Swiss media Following the dramatic rock fall and glacier collapse on Wednesday in the Swiss Lötschental valley, officials said on Saturday that the situation had eased. One fear had been that the Lonza River, which had been backed up behind the ice, rock and debris, could result in a flood wave. However, officials said the river had found new paths down the valley in the southern Swiss canton of Valais. Construction machinery has been deployed to control the run-off of accumulated water. The municipalities of Gampel and Steg informed residents of the work, saying: "The aim is to ensure the smooth flow of debris and alluvial debris through the bed of the Lonza stream within the villages." Authorities expressed relief that the Lonza River has begun to flow down the valley, reducing the risk of a flood swell Image: Jean-Christophe Bott/KEYSTONE/picture alliance What did authorities say about the Swiss glacier on Saturday? Stephane Ganzer, from the Valais state council, said that there had been no major problems overnight. The situation on Saturday was "currently satisfactory" and the night had been "quite quiet," Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported. The council decided on Friday evening to open a nearby dam, warning residents downstream to make way for the water. Residents were already on alert and ready to evacuate in the case of a dangerous swell of water behind the debris cone. The heat has sped up the melting of the glacier ice and rain has been forecast for the next days. Both could lead to a buildup of accumulated water and increase the risk of further landslides. Further evacuations after Swiss glacier collapse To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Blatten: Buried village to be rebuilt The glacier collapse was caused by rockfalls from 3,000 meters (9842.5 feet) that crashed into the Birsch Glacier, triggering the landslide on Wednesday afternoon. Millions of cubic meters of ice and rock were sent crashing through the Lötschental valley and burying the village of Blatten, which had already been evacuated. Water from the Lonza was then blocked behind the almost 2-kilometre-long debris cone. Blatten's municipal president Matthias Bellwald said the village would be rebuilt. "Blatten is under a debris cone. Together we will do what is humanly possible to rebuild the village for the village to have a future. Together we are strong," Swiss newspaper the Neue Zürchner Zeitung quoted him as saying at a press conference. Work has begun to remove large objects blocking the flow of water Image: Cyril Zingaro/KEYSTONE/dpa Edited by: Wesley Dockery
Toronto Sun
5 days ago
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Man missing after glacier collapse buries Swiss Alpine village
Published May 29, 2025 • 1 minute read A large avalanche with a mixture of ice, rock, snow and water reach the valley floor is pictured in Wiler after the Birch glacier collapsing above Blatten, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Photo by Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP / AP GENEVA — A 64-year-old man remained missing Thursday after a huge mass of rock and ice from a glacier crashed down a Swiss mountainside the day before. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The landslide sent plumes of dust skyward and coated with mud nearly all of an Alpine village that authorities had evacuated earlier this month as a precaution. State Councilor Stephane Ganzer told Radio Television Suisse that 90% of the village was destroyed. The Cantonal Police of Valais said that a search and rescue operation was underway for the man, whose name wasn't made public, and it involved a drone with a thermal camera. The regional government said in a statement that a large chunk of the Birch Glacier above the village had broken off, causing the landslide, which also buried the nearby Lonza River bed, raising the possibility of dammed water flows. Video on social media and Swiss television showed that the mudslide near Blatten, in the southern Lötschental valley, partially submerged homes and other buildings under a mass of brownish sludge. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 🔴 Toujours à #Blatten [CH] en #Suisse , de très grandes quantités d'eau s'accumulent derrière les millions de mètres cubes de "roche" ⚠️ Les villages en contrebas craignent un raz-de-marée imminent… (via ©Pomona) — Météo Franc-Comtoise (@MeteoFrComtoise) May 28, 2025 In recent days, authorities had ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as all livestock, from the village amid fears that the 1.5 million-cubic metre (52 million-cubic foot) glacier was at risk of collapse. 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, and saw 4% of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023. That was the second-biggest decline in a single year after a 6% drop in 2022. Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Tennis NFL
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Climate
- Glasgow Times
Man missing after glacier in Switzerland collapses and destroys village
The landslide sent plumes of dust into the sky and coated with mud nearly all of an Alpine village that authorities had evacuated earlier this month as a precaution. State councilor Stephane Ganzer told Radio Television Suisse that 90% of the village was destroyed. The Cantonal Police of Valais said that a search and rescue operation was under way for the man, whose name has not been made public, and it involved a drone with a thermal camera. The avalanche one day after the collapse of the Birch Glacier (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) The regional government said in a statement that a large chunk of the Birch Glacier above the village had broken off, causing the landslide, which also buried the nearby Lonza River bed, raising the possibility of dammed water flows. Video on social media and Swiss television showed that the mudslide near Blatten, in the southern Lotschental valley, partially submerged homes and other buildings under a mass of sludge. In recent days, authorities had ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as all livestock, from the village amid fears that the 52 million-cubic foot glacier was at risk of collapse. Swiss glaciologists have repeatedly expressed concerns about a thaw in recent years – attributed in large part to climate change – that has accelerated the retreat of glaciers in Switzerland. The landlocked Alpine country has the most glaciers of any country in Europe, and saw 4% of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023. That was the second-biggest decline in a single year after a 6% drop in 2022.
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Climate
- South Wales Argus
Man missing after glacier in Switzerland collapses and destroys village
The landslide sent plumes of dust into the sky and coated with mud nearly all of an Alpine village that authorities had evacuated earlier this month as a precaution. State councilor Stephane Ganzer told Radio Television Suisse that 90% of the village was destroyed. The Cantonal Police of Valais said that a search and rescue operation was under way for the man, whose name has not been made public, and it involved a drone with a thermal camera. The avalanche one day after the collapse of the Birch Glacier (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) The regional government said in a statement that a large chunk of the Birch Glacier above the village had broken off, causing the landslide, which also buried the nearby Lonza River bed, raising the possibility of dammed water flows. Video on social media and Swiss television showed that the mudslide near Blatten, in the southern Lotschental valley, partially submerged homes and other buildings under a mass of sludge. In recent days, authorities had ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as all livestock, from the village amid fears that the 52 million-cubic foot glacier was at risk of collapse. Swiss glaciologists have repeatedly expressed concerns about a thaw in recent years – attributed in large part to climate change – that has accelerated the retreat of glaciers in Switzerland. The landlocked Alpine country has the most glaciers of any country in Europe, and saw 4% of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023. That was the second-biggest decline in a single year after a 6% drop in 2022.
Western Telegraph
6 days ago
- Climate
- Western Telegraph
Man missing after glacier in Switzerland collapses and destroys village
The landslide sent plumes of dust into the sky and coated with mud nearly all of an Alpine village that authorities had evacuated earlier this month as a precaution. State councilor Stephane Ganzer told Radio Television Suisse that 90% of the village was destroyed. The Cantonal Police of Valais said that a search and rescue operation was under way for the man, whose name has not been made public, and it involved a drone with a thermal camera. The avalanche one day after the collapse of the Birch Glacier (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) The regional government said in a statement that a large chunk of the Birch Glacier above the village had broken off, causing the landslide, which also buried the nearby Lonza River bed, raising the possibility of dammed water flows. Video on social media and Swiss television showed that the mudslide near Blatten, in the southern Lotschental valley, partially submerged homes and other buildings under a mass of sludge. In recent days, authorities had ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as all livestock, from the village amid fears that the 52 million-cubic foot glacier was at risk of collapse. Swiss glaciologists have repeatedly expressed concerns about a thaw in recent years – attributed in large part to climate change – that has accelerated the retreat of glaciers in Switzerland. The landlocked Alpine country has the most glaciers of any country in Europe, and saw 4% of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023. That was the second-biggest decline in a single year after a 6% drop in 2022.
