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Reuters
2 days ago
- Climate
- Reuters
Sustainable Switch Climate Focus: Swiss village destroyed by glacier collapse
May 30 - This is an excerpt of the Sustainable Switch Climate Focus newsletter, where we make sense of companies and governments grappling with climate change on Fridays. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here. Hello, Today's newsletter focuses on extreme weather events, including a glacier collapse in a Swiss village and wildfires in Manitoba, Canada. These come as a U.N. report warns of rising global temperatures over the next five years, with Arctic warming predicted at more than three times the global average. Let's start with the glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps and the deluge of ice, mud and rock that crashed down a mountain and engulfed some 90% of the village of Blatten. Rescue teams with search dogs and thermal drone scans have been looking for a missing 64-year-old man. Local police suspended the search on Thursday afternoon, saying the mounds of debris were too unstable for now. Blatten's 300 residents had already been evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. Water trapped behind a mass of glacial debris blocking a river in southern Switzerland has sparked warnings that further evacuations may be needed amid the risk of flooding in the Alpine valley. 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. Residents struggled to absorb the scale of devastation that buried most of their picturesque Swiss village, in what scientists suspect is a dramatic example of climate change's impact on the Alps. Scientists have found that the world is expected to experience more record temperatures over the next five years, with Arctic warming predicted at more than three times the global average, according to the report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). There is an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will see record heat, with a high likelihood that average warming will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, according to the report. Keep scrolling for more updates on this week's extreme weather events such as the wildfires in Manitoba and the drought in northwest England. And click here, opens new tab to let us know what you would like to read more about our Reuters climate tracker survey. What to Watch Click here for an inspiring Reuters video on cutting down carbon emissions in the construction industry through a brick made entirely from recycled building waste. Unlike traditional clay bricks, the K-BRIQ produces 95% less CO2, according to its Scottish maker, Kenoteq. Climate Commentary Climate Lens The European Commission will set a new EU climate target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040, compared with 1990 levels, diplomats familiar with the closed-door talks told Reuters. The Commission has promised not to weaken Europe's ambitious climate aims, despite mounting criticism from governments and lawmakers concerned about the cost for European businesses, which are struggling with high energy prices and looming U.S. tariffs. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- Irish Times
‘I lost everything': Swiss residents in shock after glacier debris buries village of Blatten
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 per cent 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 kilometres across were clogging the path of the River Lonza, causing a huge lake to swell amid the wreckage. READ MORE '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 in front of a church in the neighbouring village of Wiler. The scene on Thursday after the huge Birch Glacier collapsed the day before and destroyed the evacuated small village of Blatten in the Swiss Alps. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images 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. 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 spokesman for local authorities, said some residents of neighbouring villages had been relocated 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 Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland, 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
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A San Diego aid group provides shelter and care for animals impacted by a plane crash in neighborhood
Aid group San Diego Humane Society is supporting animals affected by Thursday's plane crash in a San Diego neighborhood. Rescue teams have provided lost animals shelter, medical attention and decontaminated dogs exposed to jet fuel.
Times of Oman
17-05-2025
- Times of Oman
Two Asian expats killed in Bausher building collapse
Muscat: Two Asian expatriates died following the partial collapse of a residential-cum commercial building in the Wilayat of Bawshar due to an explosion following a cooking gas leak in a restaurant. The authorities are investigating the incident. Rescue and ambulance teams from the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority in Muscat Governorate responded immediately to the incident.
Malay Mail
12-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Seven dead after tourist boat capsizes off Sumatra, over 100 aboard
JAKARTA, May 12 — Seven people have been confirmed dead after a tourist boat carrying more than 100 passengers capsized and sank off the coast of Bengkulu on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, local authorities reported on Monday. The boat was returning from the popular Tikus Island when it was struck by large waves and strong winds around 4pm local time on Sunday, causing engine failure and immobility. 'The boat gradually tilted before capsizing and sinking in the open sea,' the Bengkulu City Media Centre said in a statement. The boat was carrying 104 people, comprising 98 tourists, one captain, and five crew members. Five of the victims died at Bhayangkara Police Hospital, while two others were confirmed dead at Bengkulu City Hospital, police confirmed. Rescue teams, supported by local fishermen, responded swiftly to the incident after receiving distress reports. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident and have urged tourist boat operators to follow safety regulations to prevent similar accidents. — Bernama
