Latest news with #RaphaelMayoraz
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
eNCA
4 days ago
- Climate
- eNCA
Swiss officials halt further evacuations after glacier collapse
Swiss authorities said Friday that they were no longer considering evacuating most residents in the vicinity of a collapsed glacier that destroyed a village, but that they remained vigilant. The Birch glacier in Switzerland's southern Valais region collapsed on Wednesday, sending a mass of rock, ice and scree hurtling into the village of Blatten in the valley below. The huge pile of glacier debris, stretching across two kilometres (1.3 miles), has blocked the river Lonza and created an artificial lake, potentially posing threats of flooding in the Lotschental valley below. "We absolutely cannot let our guard down," Raphael Mayoraz, a geologist working with the Valais canton, told public television. Mayoraz spoke of a "favourable scenario" but warned that "we are not certain that the danger is averted". Authorities said that they had proceeded with the evacuation of 16 people from two villages located downstream from the disaster area and that they would remain alert in the coming weeks. Authorities are studying evacuation plans and have warned residents who could be affected. The collapsed glacier largely destroyed most of Blatten, which had been home to 300 people and was evacuated last week due to the impending danger. One 64-year-old man, believed to have been in the danger zone at the time, remains missing. A police spokesman said difficult conditions had forced the search to be called off on Thursday. AFP | Fabrice COFFRINI An artificial dam in the village of Ferden, just below, has been emptied and should be able to contain any downward rush of water if it happens, authorities said Thursday. What remains of the village of Blatten is being submerged beneath the accumulating water of the Lonza river. Where the Birch glacier used to sit, there is now a gaping hole in the mountainside. By Fabrice Coffrini Avec Christophe Vogt à Genève
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Swiss officials halt further evacuations after glacier collapse
Swiss authorities said Friday that they were no longer considering evacuating most residents in the vicinity of a collapsed glacier that destroyed a village, but that they remained vigilant. The Birch glacier in Switzerland's southern Valais region collapsed on Wednesday, sending a mass of rock, ice and scree hurtling into the village of Blatten in the valley below. The huge pile of glacier debris, stretching across two kilometres (1.3 miles), has blocked the river Lonza and created an artificial lake, potentially posing threats of flooding in the Lotschental valley below. "We absolutely cannot let our guard down," Raphael Mayoraz, a geologist working with the Valais canton, told public television. Mayoraz spoke of a "favourable scenario" but warned that "we are not certain that the danger is averted". Authorities said that they had proceeded with the evacuation of 16 people from two villages located downstream from the disaster area and that they would remain alert in the coming weeks. Authorities are studying evacuation plans and have warned residents who could be affected. The collapsed glacier largely destroyed most of Blatten, which had been home to 300 people and was evacuated last week due to the impending danger. One 64-year-old man, believed to have been in the danger zone at the time, remains missing. A police spokesman said difficult conditions had forced the search to be called off on Thursday. An artificial dam in the village of Ferden, just below, has been emptied and should be able to contain any downward rush of water if it happens, authorities said Thursday. What remains of the village of Blatten is being submerged beneath the accumulating water of the Lonza river. Where the Birch glacier used to sit, there is now a gaping hole in the mountainside. vog/ab/djt/js
Time of India
4 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Watch: Glacier collapse wipes out 90% of Swiss village with population of around 300; is climate change the trigger?
Dramatic footage of a catastrophic landslide triggered by the partial collapse of the Birch Glacier buried approximately 90 per cent of Blatten, a small Alpine village in Switzerland's Valais Canton, surfaced on the internet on Wednesday, May 28, reported BBC. The shocking visuals have left social media by storm. The viral videos show massive dust clouds filling the valley as the glacier collapsed, with a torrent of mud and boulders engulfing the hillsides and most of the village, with a population of around 300. According to the authorities, they had issued a warning earlier this month of a potential collapse for weeks due to visible cracks in the ice. The population of the village is around 300 residents, and as a warning was issued, the livestock was evacuated. However, a 64-year-old man remains missing, and no deaths have been reported so far. As per the Cantonal Police of Valais, the search and rescue operation was underway for the missing man, reports NDTV. Additionally, the Lonza Riverbed was also buried by the landslip, which raised worries about possible floods from water flows that were blocked. Shocking visuals and images surfaced on social media The catastrophic glacier collapse is a clear reminder of the Swiss Alps' startling rate of glacial loss due to climate change. In 2022, 6 per cent of Switzerland's glacier volume vanished, and in 2023, a further 4 per cent did the same, as per the glaciologists who have been monitoring the country's glaciers for years. Swiss Village of Blatten Buried by Glacier Collapse:A 1.5 million m³ glacier crushed most of the Swiss village of Blatten. Authorities had time to evacuate residents, but a 64-year-old man remains warn of further risks as the glacier debris has blocked the… Is climate change the reason behind the glacier thaw? Well, a Swiss glaciologist has attributed the accelerating glacier thaw to climate change. According to them, they also warned that it has raised the risk of such disasters. Not only the Alpine village but also the neighbouring villages have faced partial evacuations due to the current threat of flooding. The estimated 9 million metric tonnes of debris have rendered the village nearly uninhabitable. NEW: 90% of a Swiss village has been buried after a massive chunk of the Birch glacier broke off and crashed down into the is insane."We have lost our village, but not our heart. We will support each other and console each other," said the town's It will take years for it to recover now. Matthias Bellwald, the Blatten's mayor, said, "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." While other citizens are still trying to process what actually happened. While, as per another cantonal geologist, Raphael Mayoraz, said that preparations were done for a natural disaster as they weren't aware of the scale of destruction caused by the glacier collapse. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
News18
4 days ago
- Climate
- News18
Swiss Village Wiped Off As Glacier Collapse Triggers Deadly Mudslide
Last Updated: Within a few seconds, the collapse transformed the once-picturesque village into a debris wasteland. A catastrophic landslide triggered by the partial collapse of the Birch Glacier in the Swiss Alps buried almost the entire of Blatten, a small Alpine village in Switzerland's Valais Canton. A deluge of ice, mud and rock crashed down a mountain on Wednesday, engulfing some 90% of the village of Blatten. Dramatic footage from May 28 showed 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. Aerial footage of Blatten in Switzerland after glacier collapse. — Disasters Daily (@DisastersAndI) May 29, 2025 The village's 300 residents were already evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. Within a few seconds, the collapse transformed the once-picturesque village into a debris wasteland. The landslide also buried the Lonza River bed, raising concerns about potential flooding from dammed water flows. Rescue teams with search dogs and thermal drone scans have continued looking for a missing 64-year-old man but have found nothing. Local police suspended the search on Thursday afternoon, saying the debris mounds were too unstable for now. 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. Werner Bellwald, a 65-year-old cultural studies expert, lost the wooden family house built in 1654 where he lived in Ried, a hamlet next to Blatten also wiped out by the deluge. 'You can't tell that there was ever a settlement there," he told Reuters. 'Things happened there that no one here thought were possible." The Lonza River, which flows through the village, was dammed by the landslide, creating a large artificial lake and raising fears of downstream flooding. '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. 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 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. Approximately 90 per cent of Blatten has been destroyed or buried. 'What I can tell you at the moment is that about 90 per cent of the village is covered or destroyed, so it's a major catastrophe that has happened here in Blatten," said Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais region. 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. (With inputs from agencies) First Published:
