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News18
2 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:
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Climate
- Al Etihad
'I lost everything': Swiss residents in shock after glacier debris buries village
29 May 2025 18:24 WILER, SWITZERLAND (REUTERS)Residents were struggling on Thursday 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 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 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 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 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 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, saying floods in downstream villages were a 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 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 army said in a statement that water pumps, diggers and other heavy equipment are on standby to provide relief when it is were airlifting livestock out of the area on Thursday, said Jonas Jeitziner, a local official from neighbouring Wiler, as a few sheep scrambled out of a container lowered from a 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 years, the Birch Glacier has been creeping down the mountainside, pressured by shifting debris near the 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.
RTÉ News
2 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.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Watch: Swiss village buried in ice-mud deluge, one person missing
Swiss village buried in ice-mud deluge, one person missing At least one person went missing after Birch Glacier catastrophically collapsed in the Swiss Alps, wiping off 90% of the mountain village of Blatten, which is home to 300 people. The incident took place at around 3:30 pm (local time) on Wednesday, when a large chunk of ice broke off from Birch Glacier in Switzerland's southern Wallis region. It caused a massive deluge of ice, mud, and rock that buried the village in the Lotschental valley. The officials announced the evacuation of the village the previous week due to an impending danger of a landslide, but still, some didn't leave their homes. The missing person, a 64-year-old man, was among the residents not evacuated. Drone footage broadcast by Swiss national broadcaster SRF revealed a vast expanse of mud and debris engulfing homes, the Lonza River running through the valley, and surrounding forests. Shattered wooden buildings were visible amid the rubble, underscoring the scale of destruction. Swiss Village Devastated as Glacier Collapse Triggers Deadly Mudslide | WION World DNA 'We've lost our village,' said Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten at a press conference. 'The village is under rubble. We will rebuild.' Despite the devastation, Bellwald emphasised the community's resilience, vowing to support residents in the recovery process. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed solidarity with Blatten's residents, stating on X, 'It's terrible to lose your home.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities, added, 'An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley.' The collapse, which registered as a 3.1-magnitude earthquake, involved millions of cubic meters of rock, ice, and soil, exacerbated by earlier rockfalls that had destabilized the glacier. University of Zurich, explained that warming temperatures have weakened permafrost, destabilizing mountain rock and likely contributing to the disaster. He noted that the scale of destruction in Blatten is unprecedented in the Swiss Alps in recent history. Switzerland, home to Europe's largest number of glaciers, lost 4% of its glacier volume in 2023 alone, following a 6% decline in 2022.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Climate
- Business Standard
Video: Massive glacier collapse crashes into Swiss village, buries homes
A glacier collapse buried most of Blatten after a preemptive evacuation; rescue teams are using drones to find a missing man as fears of flooding loom Rimjhim Singh New Delhi A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday triggered a catastrophic landslide that buried most of the Alpine village of Blatten in the Lotschental valley. The collapse, caused by the disintegration of the Birch Glacier above the village, sent a deluge of ice, mud, and rock cascading through homes, infrastructure, and the Lonza River. INCREDIBLE !! Here we are... ???????????? After days of overloading and cracks propagating, Birch Glacier collapsed over Blatten today at 3:24 pm and dammed the Lonza river... Devastating! ???? — Melaine Le Roy (@subfossilguy) May 28, 2025 Officials had evacuated Blatten's 300 residents and livestock earlier this month after geologists warned that a 1.5 million cubic metre section of the glacier could collapse, news agency Reuters reported. About 90 per cent of the village is now buried or destroyed, said Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais region. '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,' Ganzer said. One missing as search teams deploy drones One person, a 64-year-old man, is missing. Search teams have deployed drones with thermal cameras in hopes of locating him, Euronews reported. Drone footage from Swiss national broadcaster SRF showed a vast plain of mud and debris stretching across the village, submerging houses and blanketing the wooded slopes of the valley. The Lonza River was also engulfed, raising fears of flooding from blocked water flows. 'We've lost our village,' said Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten. 'The village is under rubble. We will rebuild.' Climate change seen as key driver Officials said millions of cubic metres of material tumbled down when part of the mountain above the glacier collapsed, bringing the ice mass with it. 'An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley,' said Matthias Ebener, a local spokesperson. Experts pointed to climate change as a factor behind the collapse. Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich, said that warming temperatures are melting permafrost and destabilising mountain slopes. 'Climate change had likely played a part in the deluge,' he said, noting that the extent of the destruction in Blatten was unprecedented in recent Swiss Alpine history. Switzerland, home to the most glaciers in Europe, lost 4 per cent of its total glacier volume in 2023 alone — its second-worst year on record after a 6 per cent loss in 2022. Government response and ongoing risk Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rosti described the disaster as 'extraordinary' and pledged support for affected residents. President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed solidarity, saying on X, 'It's terrible to lose your home.' Authorities have closed the main road into the valley and urged the public to avoid the area due to ongoing risks. 'There's a risk that the situation could get worse,' Ganzer warned, noting that blocked water flows remain a threat. The army has also been mobilised in response to earlier signs of glacier instability, underscoring the scale and seriousness of the crisis. (With Reuters inputs)
