Switzerland: The alpine village of Blatten has been left in ruins after a massive chunk of the Birch glacier collapsed, triggering an avalanche of ice, mud, and rock that buried most of the village beneath rubble.
Despite the evacuation of its 300 residents earlier this month due to warnings of instability, one person remains missing.
The disaster struck at approximately 15:30 on Wednesday, sending a deafening torrent down the Loetschental valley. Drone footage captured the horrifying moment the glacier gave way, releasing dust and debris that flattened homes and reshaped the landscape.
Mayor Matthias Bellwald, remarked that, “We have lost our village, but not our heart. We will support each other and console each other. After a long night, it will be morning again. The unimaginable has happened, but Blatten still has a future.”
About 90 percent of the village is now buried, officials confirmed. The Swiss army’s disaster relief unit has been deployed. President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed solidarity, calling the loss of homes heartbreaking.
Aerial footage of Blatten in Switzerland after glacier collapse. pic.twitter.com/TsmSXhUgIa
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Geologists had warned of a possible collapse after observing the rapid movement of the glacier and the unstable mountain face behind it. This disaster is the latest and most severe example of the growing threat facing alpine communities as glaciers recede and permafrost the geological ‘glue’ of the Alps continues to thaw due to climate change.
Raphaël Mayoraz, head of the regional office for Natural Hazards, warned further evacuations may be needed in surrounding areas. Past incidents, such as the 2017 Bondo landslide and the 2023 evacuation of Brienz, underscore the escalating risks.
A recent national report predicted that most of Switzerland’s glaciers could vanish within the next century unless global warming is urgently curbed. With the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement likely missed, scientists warn such disasters will only grow more frequent and severe.
