Panic in Switzerland: Glacier Collapse Destroys Village, Man Missing, Flood Threat Rises
A peaceful Swiss village has been wiped out after a massive glacier collapse triggered a deadly landslide and now authorities are bracing for a catastrophic flood.
The Birch Glacier in the southern Wallis (Valais) region suddenly gave way on Wednesday, May 28, unleashing millions of tons of rock, ice, and debris onto the valley below. The violent collapse flattened the alpine village of Blatten, which had already been evacuated after warnings of an imminent disaster.
A 64-year-old man is still missing, and the situation is growing more dangerous by the hour.
River Blocked, Flood Risk Rising
The massive landslide has completely blocked the River Lonza, creating a makeshift dam that now threatens to burst and flood downstream villages. Officials immediately declared a state of emergency and warned residents that a flood could strike at any moment.
Military forces and rescue teams are monitoring the scene, but say the terrain is far too unstable for anyone to go in right now. Emergency pumps and clearing equipment are on standby, but if the debris gives way, more evacuations will be necessary.
It’s like a mountain is forming inside the valley,” said natural hazard expert Raphael Mayoraz, referring to the huge buildup of rock and ice now forming a temporary lake.
Families Evacuated Overnight
Sixteen people living in nearby villages were rushed to safety late Wednesday as the water level behind the debris pile continued to rise. An artificial dam was quickly drained to act as a buffer, but there’s no guarantee it will hold if the river bursts through.
Dramatic videos of the collapse show a deafening wave of rock, glacier ice, and dust crashing down the mountainside. The force of the slide was so intense, it registered as a seismic event on monitoring equipment.
Mayoraz estimated over 3 million cubic meters of material fell from the glacier, creating what experts are calling one of the most dangerous climate-related disasters in Switzerland in recent years.
Climate Change Warning
This collapse is the latest sign of the Alps’ growing fragility. Experts say Swiss glaciers have lost around 10% of their total volume in just the last two years, an amount that once took 30 years to disappear.
This disaster echoes the 2017 Pizzo Cengalo rockslide, which killed eight hikers and decimated the town of Bondo. Scientists now warn that such deadly events could become far more common as global warming melts the Alps from within.
