A massive glacier collapse crashed down on the small Swiss hamlet of Blatten, leaving the Alpine village nearly destroyed and buried beneath mud and debris.
The usually tranquil mountain community was overwhelmed as the Birch Glacier fractured and smashed onto the southern mountainside, sending towering dust clouds soaring into the sky. Almost the entire village was swallowed by the landslip, transforming the peaceful valley into a scene of devastation.
Around 300 residents of Blatten, located in the scenic Lötschental valley, were forced to evacuate earlier this month amid growing fears of the glacier’s impending collapse.
Stephane Ganzer, security chief for the Valais region, described the disaster as “a major catastrophe,” confirming that roughly 90% of Blatten was obliterated by the glacier landslide.
The fractured glacier debris also buried the nearby Lonza River bed, raising serious concerns over potential water blockages and flooding, as detailed in an official statement from the regional government.
Just days after residents and their livestock were ordered to evacuate Blatten on May 19, the long-feared glacier collapse struck on May 28, ending weeks of mounting anxiety.
Swiss glaciologists have repeatedly warned that rising temperatures are accelerating the retreat of the country’s glaciers—a direct consequence of climate change.
In 2023 alone, Switzerland lost 4% of its glacier volume, making it the most glacier-rich nation in Europe despite the shrinking ice. This followed a staggering 6% loss in 2022, marking the second-largest annual decline on record.
Though no fatalities have been reported, a 64-year-old man is currently missing. Valais Cantonal Police have launched a search and rescue operation, employing a thermal drone to scan the affected area.
Images from before and after the disaster tell a heartbreaking story. Once a vibrant valley of lush grass, clear skies, and quaint chalets, Blatten now lies buried beneath a vast expanse of mud and debris. Only a handful of houses remain standing.
In a tearful address, Blatten’s mayor Matthias Bellwald expressed the community’s sorrow and resilience: “The unimaginable has happened. We have lost our village, but not our heart. We will support and console each other. After a long night, there will be morning again.”
Experts believe the glacier collapse was triggered by the destabilization of the permafrost rock beneath it—an alarming consequence of rising global temperatures.
“Unexpected events are occurring in places we haven’t seen in hundreds of years, most likely due to climate change,” said Matthias Huss, director of Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS), speaking to Reuters.
The Aletsch Glacier is among several Swiss glaciers rapidly melting in recent years.
Just last year, the melting ice revealed the wreckage of a 1968 plane crash between the Jungfrau and Mönch peaks, finally solving a 50-year-old mystery buried deep beneath the ice.
