Latest news with #MartinHenzen
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Climate
- Kuwait Times
Swiss residents in shock after glacier debris buries village
Experts worry about flood risk as new lake swells WILER: Swiss residents were struggling on Thursday to absorb the scale of devastation caused by a huge chunk of glacier that has buried most of their picturesque village, in what scientists suspect is a dramatic example of the impact of climate change on the Alps. A deluge of ice, mud and rock crashed down the mountain on Wednesday, engulfing some 90 percent of the village of Blatten. Its 300 residents had already been evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. However, rescue teams with search dogs were still scouring the area on Thursday for a missing 64-year-old man after an initial scan with thermal drones found nothing. As the Swiss army closely monitored the situation, some experts warned of the risks of flooding as vast mounds of debris almost two kilometers across are clogging the path of the River Lonza, causing a huge lake to swell amid the wreckage. 'I don't want to talk just now, I lost everything yesterday. I hope you understand,' said one middle-aged woman from Blatten, declining to give her name as she sat alone disconsolately in front of a church in the neighboring village of Wiler. Nearby, the road ran along the valley before ending abruptly at the mass of mud and debris now blanketing her own village. Just a few roofs poked up through the sea of sludge. A thin cloud of dust hung in the air over the Kleines Nesthorn Mountain where the rockslide occurred while a helicopter buzzed overhead. Martin Henzen, another Blatten resident, said he was still trying to process what had occurred and did not want to speak for others in the village, saying only: 'Most are calm, but they're obviously affected.' They had been making preparations for some kind of natural disaster but 'not for this scenario,' he added, referring to the scale of destruction. 'Enormous plug' But the immediate dangers might not be over. 'The water from the River Lonza cannot flow down the valley because there is an enormous plug,' Raphael Mayoraz, a cantonal geologist, told Swiss national broadcaster SRF. 'The worst case scenario is possible flooding.' Up to one million cubic meters of water are accumulating daily as a result of the debris damming up the river, said Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich. Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities, said some residents of neighboring villages had been evacuated as a precaution. The incident has revived concern about the impact of rising temperatures on Alpine permafrost which has long frozen gravel and boulders in place, creating new mountain hazards. For years, the Birch Glacier has been creeping down the mountainside, pressured by shifting debris near the summit. Matthias Huss, head of the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS), pointed to the likely influence of climate change in loosening the rock mass in the permafrost zone, which triggered this week's collapse. 'Unexpected things happen at places that we have not seen for hundreds of years, most probably due to climate change,' he said. — Reuters
Sky News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
'I lost everything': Residents in shock after landslide buries Swiss village
Residents have told of their devastation after a landslide destroyed the vast majority of a village in Switzerland. Around 90% of the picturesque village of Blatten was engulfed in ice, mud and rock on Wednesday after a large chunk of the Birch Glacier above the village broke off, causing the landslide. Its 300 residents had already been evacuated after part of the mountain behind the glacier began to crumble. Rescue teams and search dogs continued to scour the area on Thursday for a missing 64-year-old man after an initial drone scan found nothing. As people try to recover, experts also warned of the risks of flooding, with vast mounds of debris, almost 2km across, blocking the River Lonza, causing a huge lake to swell. "I don't want to talk just now. I lost everything yesterday. I hope you understand," said one middle-aged woman from Blatten, as she sat alone in front of a church in the neighbouring village of Wiler. A nearby road, which once crossed the valley, now ends abruptly in a mass of mud that had swallowed her village. Martin Henzen, another Blatten resident, said he was still struggling to process what happened. "Most are calm, but they're obviously affected," he said. While preparations had been made, it was "not for this scenario", Mr Henzen said, referring to the scale of destruction. 'Enormous plug' Residents are not out of the woods yet, with some warning of the danger posed by the blocked river. "The water from the River Lonza cannot flow down the valley because there is an enormous plug," Raphael Mayoraz, a geologist, told Swiss broadcaster SRF, saying floods in downstream villages were possible. Up to one million cubic metres of water are accumulating daily due to the debris damming the river, Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich, said. Asked how he felt about the future, Jonas Jeitziner, a local official from neighbouring Wiler, said: "Right now, the shock is so profound that one can't think about it yet." The incident has reignited concerns about the impact of rising temperatures on Alpine permafrost, which has long frozen gravel and boulders in place. For years, the Birch Glacier has been creeping down the mountain, pressured by shifting debris near the summit.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Climate
- NDTV
Video: Swiss Village Nearly Wiped Out After Glacier Collapse Causes Catastrophic Landslide
A catastrophic landslide triggered by the partial collapse of the Birch Glacier buried approximately 90% of Blatten, a small Alpine village in Switzerland's Valais Canton, BBC reported. Dramatic footage from May 28 shows massive dust clouds filling the valley as the glacier collapsed, with a torrent of mud and boulders engulfing the hillsides and much of the village, which had a population of around 300. Authorities had been warning of a potential collapse for weeks due to visible cracks in the ice, and earlier this month, the village of around 300 residents and livestock was evacuated. One person, a 64-year-old man, remains missing, and officials have reported no deaths so far. The Cantonal Police of Valais said that a search and rescue operation was underway for the missing man. The landslide also buried the Lonza River bed, raising concerns about potential flooding from dammed water flows. Aerial footage of Blatten in Switzerland after glacier collapse. — Disasters Daily (@DisastersAndI) May 29, 2025 Breaking: A glacier collapse has buried the Swiss village of Blatten under mud. 💔 The Lonza River is dammed and large parts of the town have been evacuated. Tragic — but thanks to early warnings from scientists, lives were likely saved. #Switzerland #Blatten #ClimateCrisis … — The Curious Quill (@PleasingRj) May 29, 2025 Swiss glaciologists attribute the accelerating glacier thaw to climate change, which has increased the risk of such disasters. The debris, estimated at 9 million metric tonnes, has left the village largely uninhabitable, with recovery expected to take years. Neighbouring villages have also faced partial evacuations due to the ongoing threat of flooding. "We've lost the village, but not the heart. We will support each other and console each other. After a long night, it will be morning again," said Matthias Bellwald, Blatten's mayor, reflecting the community's resilience amid the devastation. Martin Henzen, another Blatten resident, said he was still trying to process what had occurred and did not want to speak for others in the village, saying, "Most are calm, but they're affected." Raphael Mayoraz, a cantonal geologist, noted that while preparations had been made for a natural disaster, they weren't adequate for the scale of destruction caused by the glacier collapse. He warned of potential flooding in downstream villages due to the massive plug blocking the River Lonza's flow. Local authorities have requested support from the Swiss army's disaster relief unit, and members of the Swiss government are on their way to the scene. Officials said at a news conference on Wednesday that it would take years to recover from the damage, which they were continuing to assess. A Warning? The devastating glacier collapse is a stark reminder of the alarming rate of glacier retreat in the Swiss Alps, driven by climate change. Swiss glaciologists have reported unprecedented ice loss in recent years, with 6% of the country's glacier volume disappearing in 2022 and another 4% in 2023. Raphael Mayoraz, head of natural hazard management in Valais canton, warned that Switzerland is particularly vulnerable to glacier loss, stating, "These events are not just natural — they're warnings." This incident follows the recent discovery of five skier bodies on another Swiss glacier near Zermatt, underscoring the growing risks in alpine regions.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Climate
- RTÉ News
Residents in shock after glacier destroys Swiss village
Residents were struggling to absorb the scale of devastation caused by a huge chunk of glacier that buried most of their picturesque Swiss village, in what scientists suspect is a dramatic example of the impact of climate change on the Alps. A deluge of ice, mud and rock crashed down a mountain yesterday, engulfing some 90% of the village of Blatten. Its 300 residents had already been evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. However, rescue teams with search dogs were still scouring the area today for a missing 64-year-old man after an initial scan with thermal drones found nothing. As the Swiss army closely monitored the situation, some experts warned of the risks of flooding as vast mounds of debris almost two kilometres across are clogging the path of the River Lonza, causing a huge lake to swell amid the wreckage. "I don't want to talk just now. I lost everything yesterday. I hope you understand," said one middle-aged woman from Blatten, declining to give her name as she sat alone disconsolately in front of a church in the neighbouring village of Wiler. Nearby, the road ran along the valley before ending abruptly at the mass of mud and debris now blanketing the village. Just a few roofs poked up through the sea of sludge. A thin cloud of dust hung in the air over the Kleines Nesthorn Mountain where the rockslide occurred while a helicopter buzzed overhead. Martin Henzen, another Blatten resident, said he was still trying to process what had occurred and did not want to speak for others in the village, saying only, "Most are calm, but they're obviously affected." They had been preparing for some kind of natural disaster but "not for this scenario," he added, referring to the scale of destruction. 'Enormous plug' But the immediate dangers might not be over. "The water from the River Lonza cannot flow down the valley because there is an enormous plug," Raphael Mayoraz, a cantonal geologist, told Swiss national broadcaster SRF, saying floods in downstream villages were a possibility. Up to 1 million cubic meters of water are accumulating daily as a result of the debris damming up the river, said Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich. Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities, said that buildings which had emerged intact from the landslide are now flooded and that some residents of neighbouring villages had been evacuated as a precaution. The army said in a statement that water pumps, diggers and other heavy equipment are on standby to provide relief when it is safe. Authorities were airlifting livestock out of the area today said Jonas Jeitziner, a local official from neighbouring Wiler, as a few sheep scrambled out of a container lowered from a helicopter. Asked how he felt about the future, he said, gazing at the debris, "Right now, the shock is so profound that one can't think about it yet." The incident has revived concern about the impact of rising temperatures on Alpine permafrost which has long frozen gravel and boulders in place, creating new mountain hazards. For years, the Birch Glacier has been creeping down the mountainside, pressured by shifting debris near the summit. Matthias Huss, head of the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS), pointed to the likely influence of climate change in loosening the rock mass in the permafrost zone, which triggered the collapse. "Unexpected things happen at places that we have not seen for hundreds of years, most probably due to climate change," he told Reuters.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
'I lost everything': Swiss residents in shock after glacier debris buries village
A helicopter flies over debris and dust from a crumbling glacier that partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village of Blatten, Switzerland is seen on May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Mud and rocks slide down a mountain after a glacier partially collapsed covering most of the village of Blatten, Switzerland May 28, 2025, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. Pomona Media/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT Debris and dust from a crumbling glacier that partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village of Blatten, Switzerland is seen on May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth A few remaining houses are seen after a massive rock and ice slide covered most of the village of Blatten, Switzerland May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Debris and dust from a crumbling glacier that partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village of Blatten, Switzerland is seen on May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Debris and dust from a crumbling glacier that partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village of Blatten, Switzerland, is seen on May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth A few remaining houses are seen after a massive rock and ice slide covered most of the village of Blatten, Switzerland May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth WILER, Switzerland - Swiss residents were struggling on Thursday to absorb the scale of devastation caused by a huge chunk of glacier that has buried most of their picturesque village, in what scientists suspect is a dramatic example of the impact of climate change on the Alps. A deluge of ice, mud and rock crashed down the mountain on Wednesday, engulfing some 90% of the village of Blatten. Its 300 residents had already been evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. However, rescue teams with search dogs were still scouring the area on Thursday for a missing 64-year-old man after an initial scan with thermal drones found nothing. As the Swiss army closely monitored the situation, some experts warned of the risks of flooding as vast mounds of debris almost two kilometers across are clogging the path of the River Lonza, causing a huge lake to swell amid the wreckage. "I don't want to talk just now, I lost everything yesterday. I hope you understand," said one middle-aged woman from Blatten, declining to give her name as she sat alone disconsolately in front of a church in the neighbouring village of Wiler. Nearby, the road ran along the valley before ending abruptly at the mass of mud and debris now blanketing her own village. Just a few roofs poked up through the sea of sludge. A thin cloud of dust hung in the air over the Kleines Nesthorn Mountain where the rockslide occurred while a helicopter buzzed overhead. Martin Henzen, another Blatten resident, said he was still trying to process what had occurred and did not want to speak for others in the village, saying only: "Most are calm, but they're obviously affected." They had been making preparations for some kind of natural disaster but "not for this scenario," he added, referring to the scale of destruction. 'ENORMOUS PLUG' But the immediate dangers might not be over. "The water from the River Lonza cannot flow down the valley because there is an enormous plug," Raphael Mayoraz, a cantonal geologist, told Swiss national broadcaster SRF. "The worst case scenario is possible flooding." Up to one million cubic meters of water are accumulating daily as a result of the debris damming up the river, said Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich. Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities, said some residents of neighbouring villages had been evacuated as a precaution. The incident has revived concern about the impact of rising temperatures on Alpine permafrost which has long frozen gravel and boulders in place, creating new mountain hazards. For years, the Birch Glacier has been creeping down the mountainside, pressured by shifting debris near the summit. Matthias Huss, head of the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS), pointed to the likely influence of climate change in loosening the rock mass in the permafrost zone, which triggered this week's collapse. "Unexpected things happen at places that we have not seen for hundreds of years, most probably due to climate change," he told Reuters. REUTERS Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
