GENEVA. A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps triggered a torrent of ice, mud, and rock that buried most of the southwestern village of Blatten, leaving one person missing, according to Swiss authorities.
The disaster occurred on Wednesday following the detachment of a large section of the glacier, which sent millions of cubic meters of debris cascading into the Loetschental valley. Drone footage aired by Swiss national broadcaster SRF showed thick layers of earth covering homes, roads, and the local river. Only scattered rooftops and rubble remained visible beneath the devastation.
“We’ve lost our village,” said Blatten Mayor Matthias Bellwald during a press conference. “The village is under rubble. We will rebuild.”
Approximately 90% of the village has been buried, said Stephane Ganzer, a regional official in the canton of Valais. Local authorities had evacuated all of Blatten’s 300 residents on May 19 after geologists warned of an imminent rock and ice avalanche from the mountain above.
“An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley,” said local spokesperson Matthias Ebener, who confirmed that one person remains missing but did not release further details.
Emergency services closed the main road into the valley and urged the public to stay away from the hazardous area. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed her condolences on social media, saying, “It’s terrible to lose your home.”
The glacier’s collapse, partially captured in a widely circulated video on social media, created a massive dust cloud as tons of debris swept down the mountainside.
Experts say multiple factors likely contributed to the event, including climate change. Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich, noted that warmer temperatures in the Alps have affected local permafrost, potentially destabilizing the mountain’s rock formations.
“The scale of destruction in Blatten is without precedent in modern Swiss history,” Huggel added.
As rescue and geological teams continue their assessment, hopes remain that the missing person can be found and that the village can one day be rebuilt.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
