US EditionSwiss Glacier Collapses, Destroying 90% of Alpine Village
- On May 29, 2025, a massive landslide triggered by the collapse of the Birch Glacier buried the Swiss Alpine village of Blatten under rock, ice, and mud.
- Rising temperatures caused permafrost thaw and glacier melting, which destabilized the mountainside and led to the glacier and rockfall.
- The landslide covered 90% of Blatten, blocked the Lonza River, and formed a large debris dam, prompting evacuation warnings downstream.
- Stephane Ganzer said, “about 90% of the village is covered or destroyed,” while mayor Matthias Bellwald called the event “unimaginable,” with one man missing.
- Authorities suspended rescue efforts due to conditions but plan rebuilding; the event raises concerns about future risks to Alpine villages amid climate change.
508 Articles
508 Articles
Glacier collapse in Blatten, Switzerland—A portent of an ecological catastrophe
On May 28, a mass of rock, ice, mud and water crashed down on and buried the mountain village of Blatten in the Swiss canton of Valais. Only a few houses remained standing, and these are now flooded by a pool of water that has formed behind the debris.
The Avery Journal-Times
Swiss glacier collapse offers global warning of wider impact
The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts say.
Satellite Images Show How the Landslide Swallowed the Village in the Alps
In an instant, hundreds of houses were buried in ice, mud and rock when a glacier partially collapsed near the village of Blatten in Switzerland. New satellite images show that even the village church is no longer visible.
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