Swiss village nearly destroyed by landslide following glacier collapse
A glacier collapse in Switzerland caused a landslide that buried 90% of Blatten; rescue efforts continue.
A large section of the Birch Glacier above Blatten, Switzerland, broke off on May 28, triggering a landslide that buried 90% of the village in mud and rocks, according to State Councilor Stéphane Ganzer,
A 64-year-old man still remains missing after the glacier crashed down the mountainside, while the Cantonal Police of Valais stated a search is underway. While the name of the missing man remains unknown, they are looking for him with a drone and a thermal camera.
Swiss authorities react to the Blatten landslide
Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities, explained that "an unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley," while Mayor Matthias Bellwald shared the sentiment but was still hopeful: "The village is under rubble. We will rebuild."
However, the situation can still get worse. The regional government stated that the landslide may have dammed the water flows, as the Birch Glacier also buried the nearby Lonza River bed. This may still cause a flood at the valeey bellow.
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Evacuations and emergency response in nearby areas
As a safety measure, 16 people were evacuated from 2 villages located downstreamed from the risk area. Raphael Mayoraz, the cantonal official responsible for natural hazard management, explained Wednesday evening, "It's like a mountain, and of course, it creates a small lake that gets bigger and bigger."
Authorities recently evacuated approximately 300 residents and all livestock from the village due to concerns that the 52 million-cubic-foot glacier might collapse.
