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Business Standard
7 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)
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How to build the ultimate cheese board, according to Ina Garten and other chefs
Want to host a gathering like the pros with a super-impressive cheese board? It's a lot easier than you think. With a few strategic cheese and accompaniment choices, you're good to go. A large wooden cutting board or any other platter can serve as the base. The rest of the work is simply gathering ingredients and placing them in a way that's both easy to self-serve and eye-catching. Ina Garten (domestic goddess that she is) isn't the only pro who likes to serve a cheese board for entertaining. It's a go-to for many pro entertainers because people love it, it requires no cooking and yet it can wow a crowd. Garten starts with fig leaves from her garden, but you can use fresh lemon Galax leaves from a florist or just leave the board bare. She likes to place a big bunch of grapes in the center and then the cheese, crackers and other goodies around it. Alternatively, you could snip off smaller bunches of grapes (that, say, one person might put on their plate) and scatter those on the board to start. The experts at the New York City cheese mecca Murray's Cheese shared some other easy-to-follow guidelines. John Montez, the shop's training and curriculum manager, explains, "It's a good idea to stick with an odd number. Three or five cheeses with a range of flavors and textures will always make a pleasing arrangement." "When arranging the board, soft cheeses should be put out as a whole piece with a spreader. Semi-firm cheeses look best sliced into triangles and fanned out. The best way to display hard cheeses is to put out the whole piece and use a knife to crumble off a few pieces to suggest to your guests to keep crumbling it. Beware of symmetry — lay out the cheeses artistically and organically, rather than rigidly." "A good base assortment is a soft cheese like a brie or triple creme, a semi-firm cheese like a young gouda or Swiss Alpine and a hard cheese like an aged cheddar or Parmigiano Reggiano," advises Montez. Dan Kluger chef and owner of the New York City restaurant Loring Place adds, "I always say, know your audience — I like blue cheese, I like stinky cheese, whereas my wife doesn't, so I have to keep that in mind. And as always, quality over quantity. Choose one amazing cheese over three mediocre ones." Chef Curtis Stone of Gwen, a butcher shop and restaurant in Los Angeles, has another reminder: "A really important part of serving cheese is ensuring it's at the right temperature. You should take the cheese out of the refrigerator 45 minutes to an hour before placing it on your cheese board and serving.' He's got a point. No one wants a cold slab of Brie when you can indulge in the runny, gooey version, right? You'll want to add fresh fruit (think grapes, pears or berries) or dried fruit (we like apricots, figs and sour cherries), and if you're serving this as a mini-meal, perhaps some charcuterie such as salami, prosciutto, smoked turkey or even sliced beef jerky sticks. Crackers or bread are also must-haves.
