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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Flood risk threatens Swiss valley after glacier destroys village
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 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 A satellite image shows destroyed houses and blocked Ionza River, after a glacier in the Swiss Alps partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village, in Blatten, Switzerland May 29, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS A satellite image shows Blatten after a glacier in the Swiss Alps partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village, in Blatten, Switzerland May 29, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS Debris and dust from a crumbling glacier that partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village of Blatten, Switzerland, May 29. 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. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth ZURICH - A lake of water trapped behind a mass of glacial debris that buried a village and blocked a river in southern Switzerland this week has sparked fears of flooding in the Alpine valley, even as some water eased its way through the morass on Friday. A deluge of millions of cubic meters of ice, mud and rock crashed down a mountain on Wednesday, engulfing the village of Blatten. The few houses that remained intact were later flooded. The village's 300 residents had already been evacuated after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. Rescue teams were looking for a missing 64-year-old man but have suspended their search for now due to the difficult conditions. Flooding increased on Thursday as the mound of debris almost 2 km (1.2 miles) across clogged the path of the River Lonza, causing a lake to form amid the wreckage, raising fears that the morass could dislodge and trigger more evacuations. Late on Thursday, local authorities urged residents in Gampel and Steg, neighbouring and lower-lying villages several kilometres further downstream on the Lonza, to prepare for possible evacuation in case of emergency. Still, by Friday afternoon some of the accumulated water had made its way through the debris and run off, indicating that it could be finding a way back to the river without raising the danger level, Swiss officials said. Authorities are therefore sticking to safety measures put in place on Thursday and do not currently expect the situation to worsen, local official Christian Studer told a press conference. The army has been standing by with water pumps, diggers and other heavy equipment to help relieve pressure on the Lonza, a tributary of the River Rhone, once conditions allow. Residents have struggled to absorb the scale of destruction caused by the deluge, an event that scientists suspect is a dramatic example of the impact of climate change in the Alps. The Swiss Insurance Association said the damage would likely amount to several hundred million Swiss francs, and that it was too early for a more precise estimate. How many houses were insured in Blatten was unclear, it said in a statement. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Star
Flood risk threatens Swiss valley after glacier destroys village
Debris and dust from a crumbling glacier that partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village of Blatten, Switzerland, May 29. 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. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth ZURICH (Reuters) - A lake of water trapped behind a mass of glacial debris that buried a village and blocked a river in southern Switzerland this week has sparked fears of flooding in the Alpine valley, even as some water eased its way through the morass on Friday. A deluge of millions of cubic meters of ice, mud and rock crashed down a mountain on Wednesday, engulfing the village of Blatten. The few houses that remained intact were later flooded. The village's 300 residents had already been evacuated after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. Rescue teams were looking for a missing 64-year-old man but have suspended their search for now due to the difficult conditions. Flooding increased on Thursday as the mound of debris almost 2 km (1.2 miles) across clogged the path of the River Lonza, causing a lake to form amid the wreckage, raising fears that the morass could dislodge and trigger more evacuations. Late on Thursday, local authorities urged residents in Gampel and Steg, neighbouring and lower-lying villages several kilometres further downstream on the Lonza, to prepare for possible evacuation in case of emergency. Still, by Friday afternoon some of the accumulated water had made its way through the debris and run off, indicating that it could be finding a way back to the river without raising the danger level, Swiss officials said. Authorities are therefore sticking to safety measures put in place on Thursday and do not currently expect the situation to worsen, local official Christian Studer told a press conference. The army has been standing by with water pumps, diggers and other heavy equipment to help relieve pressure on the Lonza, a tributary of the River Rhone, once conditions allow. Residents have struggled to absorb the scale of destruction caused by the deluge, an event that scientists suspect is a dramatic example of the impact of climate change in the Alps. The Swiss Insurance Association said the damage would likely amount to several hundred million Swiss francs, and that it was too early for a more precise estimate. How many houses were insured in Blatten was unclear, it said in a statement. (Reporting by Dave Graham; Additional reporting by Oliver Hirt; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Gareth Jones)
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Flood risk threatens Swiss valley after village destroyed by glacier
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, May 29. 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. 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 A satellite image shows destroyed houses and blocked Ionza River, after a glacier in the Swiss Alps partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village, in Blatten, Switzerland May 29, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS A satellite image shows Blatten after a glacier in the Swiss Alps partially collapsed and tumbled onto the village, in Blatten, Switzerland May 29, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS ZURICH - Water trapped behind a mass of glacial debris that this week buried a village and blocked a river in southern Switzerland has sparked warnings that further evacuations may be needed amid the risk of flooding in the Alpine valley. A deluge of millions of cubic meters of ice, mud and rock crashed down a mountain on Wednesday, engulfing the village of Blatten, and the few houses that remained later flooded. Its 300 residents had been evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. Flooding increased on Thursday as the mound of debris almost 2 km (1.2 miles) across clogged the path of the River Lonza, causing a lake to form amid the wreckage, raising fears that the morass could dislodge and trigger more evacuations. Late on Thursday, local authorities urged residents in Gampel and Steg, villages several kilometres further along the Lonza Valley, to prepare for possible evacuation in case of emergency. The army is standing by with water pumps, diggers and other heavy equipment to provide relief when conditions allow. Rescue teams have been looking for a 64-year-old man missing since the landslide. Local authorities suspended the search on Thursday afternoon, saying the debris mounds were too unstable for now, and warning of further rockfalls. Residents have struggled to absorb the scale of destruction caused by the deluge, an event that scientists suspect is a dramatic example of the impact of climate change in the Alps. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Japan Today
5 days ago
- Climate
- Japan Today
Swiss residents in shock after glacier debris buries village
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 By Dave Graham Residents struggled on Thursday to absorb the scale of devastation caused by a huge slab of glacier that buried most of their picturesque Swiss village, in what scientists suspect is a dramatic example of climate change's impact on the Alps. A deluge of millions of cubic meters of ice, mud and rock crashed down a mountain on Wednesday, engulfing the village of Blatten and the few houses that remained were later flooded. Its 300 residents had already been evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. Rescue teams with search dogs and thermal drone scans have continued looking for a missing 64-year-old man but have found nothing. Local authorities suspended the search on Thursday afternoon, saying the debris mounds were too unstable for now and warned of further rockfalls. With the Swiss army closely monitoring the situation, flooding worsened during the day as vast mounds of debris almost two kilometers across clogged the path of the River Lonza, causing a huge lake to form amid the wreckage and raising fears that the morass could dislodge. Water levels have been rising by 80 centimeters an hour from the blocked river and melting glacier ice, Stephane Ganzer, head of the security division for the Valais canton, told reporters. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter is returning early from high-level talks in Ireland and will visit the site on Friday, her office said. "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. A thin cloud of dust hung in the air over the Kleines Nesthorn Mountain where the rockslide occurred while a helicopter buzzed overhead. 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." PROFOUND SHOCK The worst scenario would be that a wave of debris bursts the nearby Ferden Dam, Valais canton official Ganzer said. He added that the chances of this further mudslide were currently unlikely, noting that the dam had been emptied as a precaution so it could act as a buffer zone. Local authorities said that the buildings in Blatten which had emerged intact from the landslide are now flooded and that some residents of nearby villages had been evacuated. The army said around 50 personnel as well as water pumps, diggers and other heavy equipment were on standby to provide relief when it was safe. Authorities were airlifting livestock out of the area, said Jonas Jeitziner, a local official in Wiler, as a few sheep scrambled out of a container lowered from a helicopter. Asked how he felt about the future, he said, gazing towards the plain of mud: "Right now, the shock is so profound that one can't think about it yet." The catastrophe has revived concern about the impact of rising temperatures on Alpine permafrost where thawing has loosened some rock structures, 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 Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland, pointed to the likely influence of climate change in loosening the rock mass among the permafrost, 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. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
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.
