Latest news with #NaturalHazardsService
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Flood fears recede after Swiss glacier collapse
An artificial lake building up behind the rubble left by a glacier that dramatically plunged down a Swiss mountainside, destroying a village, is beginning to drain, authorities said Friday, reducing fears of a second catastrophe. The huge barricade of debris formed when the Birch glacier collapsed on Wednesday has blocked the river Lonza in Switzerland's southern Wallis region, fuelling concern the dam of rubble could give way and flood the valley. But as reconnaissance flights and inspections progressed, authorities said the water from the newly formed lake, which has been slowly submerging the remaining houses in the obliterated village of Blatten, was beginning to find its way over, through and around the blockage. "This development is positive, but we remain cautious," said Stephane Ganzer, head of the regional security department. "The risk remains, even if it is diminishing," he told a press conference, stressing that "no evacuations are planned" in the villages downstream in the Lotschental valley, one of the most beautiful in southern Switzerland. The outflow "makes us optimistic and suggests that the water is finding a good path", explained Christian Studer of the Wallis canton's Natural Hazards Service. However, work to pump water from the lake has still not begun as the ground remains too unstable, particularly on the mountainside. The Lotschental valley stretches for just under 30 kilometres (20 miles) and is home to around 1,500 inhabitants. It is renowned for the beauty of its landscapes dominated by snow-capped peaks, its small traditional villages, and its spectacular hiking trails. But its face has been forever changed by the glacier collapse. - One person still missing - Authorities remain on alert, and communities downstream from the landslide, including in the Rhone Valley, which the Lonza flows into, are nonetheless preparing for a possible evacuation. An artificial dam in the village of Ferden, downstream in the Lotschental valley, has been emptied and should be able to contain any downward rush of water, authorities say. One 64-year-old man, believed to have been in the danger zone at the time, remains missing. The collapsed glacier destroyed most of Blatten, which had been home to 300 people and was evacuated last week due to the impending danger. "That shows the importance of early warnings and early action," Clare Nullis, spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organization, told a press briefing in Geneva. "The landscape will never be the same again. The village will never be the same again. But it is an example of how we can use forecasts and warnings to save people's lives," she said. Nullis said the Swiss had provided a "textbook example" of what should be done, but stressed that not all countries had such highly developed early warning systems in place. The landslide was so heavy it was even picked up by Switzerland's seismographs. "This is probably the most catastrophic event for the last 150 years in Switzerland and probably in the whole Alps," in terms of a rock and ice avalanche, Christophe Lambiel, senior lecturer at the University of Lausanne's Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, told AFP. - 'Erased within seconds' - The glacier was below the 3,342-metre (10,965-foot) high Kleines Nesthorn peak. In the fortnight before its collapse, a series of falls from the mountain dumped three million cubic metres of rock onto the ice surface. That increased the weight, and with the glacier on a steep slope, it ultimately gave way in dramatic fashion, plunging down on Blatten, at 1,540 metres' altitude in the valley floor. Experts said it was too early to make a direct link to climate change, but told AFP that thawing permafrost in the cracks in the rock likely played a role in destabilising the mountain. Matthias Huss, the director of Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (GLAMOS), said the drastic collapse might bring global attention to the Alpine glaciers, and ultimately the impact of climate change on them. "Often a big disaster has to strike before people realise that something is going on," he told AFP. "It's very tangible: the destruction of a whole village is easily understandable to everybody. People have lived there for hundreds of years -- and everything has been erased within seconds." bur-vog-rjm/jhb
France 24
3 days ago
- Climate
- France 24
Flood fears recede after Swiss glacier collapse
The huge barricade of debris formed when the Birch glacier collapsed on Wednesday has blocked the river Lonza in Switzerland's southern Wallis region, fuelling concern the dam of rubble could give way and flood the valley. But as reconnaissance flights and inspections progressed, authorities said the water from the newly formed lake, which has been slowly submerging the remaining houses in the obliterated village of Blatten, was beginning to find its way over, through and around the blockage. "This development is positive, but we remain cautious," said Stephane Ganzer, head of the regional security department. "The risk remains, even if it is diminishing," he told a press conference, stressing that "no evacuations are planned" in the villages downstream in the Lotschental valley, one of the most beautiful in southern Switzerland. The outflow "makes us optimistic and suggests that the water is finding a good path", explained Christian Studer of the Wallis canton's Natural Hazards Service. However, work to pump water from the lake has still not begun as the ground remains too unstable, particularly on the mountainside. The Lotschental valley stretches for just under 30 kilometres (20 miles) and is home to around 1,500 inhabitants. It is renowned for the beauty of its landscapes dominated by snow-capped peaks, its small traditional villages, and its spectacular hiking trails. But its face has been forever changed by the glacier collapse. One person still missing Authorities remain on alert, and communities downstream from the landslide, including in the Rhone Valley, which the Lonza flows into, are nonetheless preparing for a possible evacuation. An artificial dam in the village of Ferden, downstream in the Lotschental valley, has been emptied and should be able to contain any downward rush of water, authorities say. One 64-year-old man, believed to have been in the danger zone at the time, remains missing. The collapsed glacier destroyed most of Blatten, which had been home to 300 people and was evacuated last week due to the impending danger. "That shows the importance of early warnings and early action," Clare Nullis, spokeswoman for the World Meteorological Organization, told a press briefing in Geneva. "The landscape will never be the same again. The village will never be the same again. But it is an example of how we can use forecasts and warnings to save people's lives," she said. Nullis said the Swiss had provided a "textbook example" of what should be done, but stressed that not all countries had such highly developed early warning systems in place. The landslide was so heavy it was even picked up by Switzerland's seismographs. "This is probably the most catastrophic event for the last 150 years in Switzerland and probably in the whole Alps," in terms of a rock and ice avalanche, Christophe Lambiel, senior lecturer at the University of Lausanne's Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, told AFP. 'Erased within seconds' The glacier was below the 3,342-metre (10,965-foot) high Kleines Nesthorn peak. In the fortnight before its collapse, a series of falls from the mountain dumped three million cubic metres of rock onto the ice surface. That increased the weight, and with the glacier on a steep slope, it ultimately gave way in dramatic fashion, plunging down on Blatten, at 1,540 metres' altitude in the valley floor. Experts said it was too early to make a direct link to climate change, but told AFP that thawing permafrost in the cracks in the rock likely played a role in destabilising the mountain. Matthias Huss, the director of Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (GLAMOS), said the drastic collapse might bring global attention to the Alpine glaciers, and ultimately the impact of climate change on them. "Often a big disaster has to strike before people realise that something is going on," he told AFP. "It's very tangible: the destruction of a whole village is easily understandable to everybody. People have lived there for hundreds of years -- and everything has been erased within seconds." © 2025 AFP
The Sun
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Sun
One missing as village largely destroyed in Swiss glacier collapse
GENEVA: A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday largely destroyed the village of Blatten, with one person missing, authorities said. The village in the Lotschental valley, home to 300 people, had been evacuated last week due to the impending danger. The huge collapse on the Birch Glacier in Switzerland's southern Wallis region happened at around 3:30 pm. Officials said the missing person, a 64-year-old man, was not one of the evacuated residents, and added that there were no known injuries. 'The unimaginable has happened,' Blatten's president Matthias Bellwald told a press conference. 'We have lost our village, but not our hearts. 'Even though the village lies under a huge pile of rubble, we know where our homes and our church must be rebuilt,' he added. The glacier collapse had been expected for several days. Footage posted on YouTube showed a huge cloud of ice and scree hurtling down the mountain slope and into the valley where the village is located. The mud and rockfall hit the houses. 'The worst-case scenario has occurred,' said Raphael Mayoraz, head of the Wallis canton's Natural Hazards Service. He said three million cubic metres of material had accumulated on the glacier, and then tumbled down into the valley. 'This is a very rare event,' he said. 'We don't know exactly what's still up there, but most of it has fallen.' Search and rescue effort Swiss national broadcaster RTS aired drone footage showing the debris had subsumed and smashed buildings, and pushed homes into one another. Wallis police said the missing 64-year-old man was a local resident who, according to their information, was in the area at the time of the incident. A search and rescue operation was launched, with three rescue specialists airlifted to the scene, while a drone with a thermal imaging camera was also used. 'Despite significant efforts, the man has still not been found,' police said. Mayoraz said a blockage two kilometres long had formed in the valley floor, where the Lonza river flows, with a small lake growing behind it. 'It's like a small mountain,' he said. Though unlikely, a debris flow cannot be ruled out completely, he added. 'That's a risk we have to monitor,' he said. 'Nature is stronger' 'It's terrible to lose your home. In these difficult times, my thoughts are with the residents of Blatten,' Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter wrote on X. Two of Switzerland's seven government ministers, defence and civil protection minister Martin Pfister and environment minister Albert Rosti, went to the valley. Pfister called it a disaster of 'striking proportions'. 'We assure you of our support, today and in the weeks and probably years to come,' he told the press conference, adding that the army was on its way. Rosti said the government 'will do everything possible to give Blatten a future, although it will take a lot of effort and time'. 'Nature is stronger than humankind, as mountain dwellers know,' he added. A significant increase in activity was observed on the glacier from Tuesday night and intensified during Wednesday. The Alps mountain range in Europe has seen its glaciers retreat in recent years due to warming that most scientists attribute to climate change. Swiss glaciers, severely impacted by climate change, melted as much in 2022 and 2023 as between 1960 and 1990, losing in total about 10 percent of their volume. ral disasters · mountains · disaster and accident · disaster (general) · natural resources · land resources
France 24
5 days ago
- Climate
- France 24
One missing as Swiss village largely destroyed by glacier collapse
A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday largely destroyed the village of Blatten, with one person missing, authorities said. The village in the Lotschental valley, home to 300 people, had been evacuated last week due to the impending danger. The huge collapse on the Birch Glacier in Switzerland 's southern Wallis region happened at around 3:30 pm. Officials said the missing person, a 64-year-old man, was not one of the evacuated residents, and added that there were no known injuries. "The unimaginable has happened," Blatten's president Matthias Bellwald told a press conference. "We have lost our village, but not our hearts. "Even though the village lies under a huge pile of rubble, we know where our homes and our church must be rebuilt," he added. The glacier collapse had been expected for several days. Footage posted on YouTube showed a huge cloud of ice and scree hurtling down the mountain slope and into the valley where the village is located. The mud and rockfall hit the houses. "The worst-case scenario has occurred," said Raphael Mayoraz, head of the Wallis canton's Natural Hazards Service. He said three million cubic metres of material had accumulated on the glacier, and then tumbled down into the valley. "This is a very rare event," he said. "We don't know exactly what's still up there, but most of it has fallen." Search and rescue effort Swiss national broadcaster RTS aired drone footage showing the debris had subsumed and smashed buildings, and pushed homes into one another. Wallis police said the missing 64-year-old man was a local resident who, according to their information, was in the area at the time of the incident. A search and rescue operation was launched, with three rescue specialists airlifted to the scene, while a drone with a thermal imaging camera was also used. "Despite significant efforts, the man has still not been found," police said. Mayoraz said a blockage two kilometres long had formed in the valley floor, where the Lonza river flows, with a small lake growing behind it. "It's like a small mountain," he said. Though unlikely, a debris flow cannot be ruled out completely, he added. "That's a risk we have to monitor," he said. 'Nature is stronger' "It's terrible to lose your home. In these difficult times, my thoughts are with the residents of Blatten," Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter wrote on X. Two of Switzerland's seven government ministers, defence and civil protection minister Martin Pfister and environment minister Albert Rosti, went to the valley. Pfister called it a disaster of "striking proportions". "We assure you of our support, today and in the weeks and probably years to come," he told the press conference, adding that the army was on its way. Rosti said the government "will do everything possible to give Blatten a future, although it will take a lot of effort and time". "Nature is stronger than humankind, as mountain dwellers know," he added. A significant increase in activity was observed on the glacier from Tuesday night and intensified during Wednesday. The Alps mountain range in Europe has seen its glaciers retreat in recent years due to warming that most scientists attribute to climate change. Swiss glaciers, severely impacted by climate change, melted as much in 2022 and 2023 as between 1960 and 1990, losing in total about 10 percent of their volume.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Climate
- RTÉ News
One missing as Swiss village destroyed in glacier collapse
A huge chunk of a glacier in the Swiss Alps broke off, causing a deluge of ice, mud and rock that buried most of a mountain village that had been evacuated due to the risk of a rockslide, authorities said. One person is currently missing, officials said. Drone footage broadcast by Swiss national broadcaster SRF showed a vast plain of mud and soil completely covering part of the southwestern village of Blatten, the river running through it and the wooded sides of the surrounding valley. "We've lost our village," Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten told a press conference after the slide. "The village is under rubble. We will rebuild." Stephane Ganzer, an official in the canton of Valais where Blatten is located, told Swiss media that about 90% of the village was covered by the landslide. "The worst-case scenario has occurred," said Raphael Mayoraz, head of the Wallis canton's Natural Hazards Service. He said three million cubic metres of material had accumulated on the glacier, and then tumbled down into the valley. "This is a very rare event," he said. "We don't know exactly what's still up there, but most of it has fallen." Wallis police said the missing 64-year-old man was a local resident who, according to their information, was in the area at the time of the incident. A search and rescue operation was launched, with three rescue specialists airlifted to the scene, while a drone with a thermal imaging camera was also used. "Despite significant efforts, the man has still not been found," police said. "An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley," said Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities. One person was missing, Mr Ebener said. Officials gave no further details on the person during the press conference. Officials said millions of cubic metres of rock and soil have tumbled down since Blatten was first evacuated this month when part of the mountain behind the glacier began to crumble, sparking warnings it could bring the ice mass down with it. A video shared widely on social media showed the dramatic moment when the glacier partially collapsed, creating a huge cloud that covered part of the mountain as rock and debris came cascading down towards the village. Experts said it was difficult to assess the extent to which rising temperatures spurred by climate change had triggered the collapse because of the role the crumbling mountainside had played. Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich, said while various factors were at play in Blatten, it was known that local permafrost had been affected by warmer temperatures in the Alps. The loss of permafrost can negatively affect the stability of the mountain rock which is why climate change had likely played a part in the deluge, Prof Huggel said. The extent of the damage to Blatten had no precedent in the Swiss Alps in the current or previous century, he added. The rubble of shattered wooden buildings could be seen on the flanks of the huge mass of earth in the drone footage. Buildings and infrastructure in Blatten, whose roughly 300 inhabitants were evacuated on 19 May after geologists identified the risk of an imminent avalanche of rock and ice from above, were battered by the rockslide, officials said. SRF said houses were destroyed in the village nestled in the Loetschental valley in southern Switzerland. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed her solidarity with the local population as emergency services warned people the area was hazardous and urged them to stay away, closing off the main road into the valley.
