US EditionSwiss Glacier Collapses, Destroying 90% of Alpine Village
- A mountainside near the Swiss village of Blatten collapsed on Wednesday, burying most of the village and prompting evacuations.
- The collapse followed years of melting permafrost and debris accumulation above the Birch Glacier that destabilized the rock face.
- Experts note the event highlights growing dangers from glacier collapses worldwide, linked to climate change and rising temperatures.
- Switzerland lost 4% of its glacier volume in 2023, with studies predicting 40% of global glaciers will vanish even if temperatures stabilize.
- Authorities evacuated about 300 people and all livestock, emphasizing that glacier instability threatens nearby populations and resources.
516 Articles
516 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.
InsideNoVA.com
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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