US EditionSwiss Glacier Collapses, Destroying 90% of Alpine Village
- A massive glacier collapse on May 28, 2025, in the Swiss Alps destroyed about 90% of the village of Blatten in the Lotschental valley.
- Authorities evacuated the village of about 300 residents on May 19 due to warnings of an imminent glacier and rockslide collapse.
- Three million cubic meters of ice, rock, and mud from the Birch Glacier broke off around 3:30 pm, burying homes and blocking the valley floor and Lonza river.
- Officials confirmed no known injuries but one person remains missing; Matthias Bellwald, Blatten's mayor, said, "The unimaginable has happened."
- The collapse reflects severe climate change impacts on Swiss glaciers, and authorities pledged long-term support while monitoring risks from growing valley lakes behind debris.
352 Articles
352 Articles
Swiss village buried as glacier collapse triggers massive landslide, scary videos show devastating damage
A catastrophic landslide triggered by the collapse of Switzerland's Birch Glacier has buried nearly 90% of the Alpine village of Blatten in Valais canton. The village had been evacuated earlier in May due to visible cracks in the glacier. One man remains missing, while no deaths have been reported.
Glacier melt, driven by climate change, buries 90% of this Swiss village
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% of the village of Blatten. Its 300 residents had already been evacuated earlier in May after part of t…
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