A massive landslide triggered by the collapse of part of Switzerland’s Birch Glacier has buried the village of Blatten, leaving one person missing and raising fears of further flooding in the surrounding valley.
On Wednesday, millions of cubic meters of ice, mud, and rock cascaded down the mountain, engulfing the village and flooding the few remaining structures. Its 300 residents had been evacuated in early May after geologists warned of an imminent landslide.
By Thursday, the debris—stretching nearly 2 kilometers —blocked the River Lonza, forming a growing lake and heightening concerns that the unstable mass could dislodge, potentially triggering more evacuations downstream. Authorities urged residents in the villages of Gampel and Steg, located further along the Lonza Valley, to prepare for possible emergency evacuations.
The Swiss Army is on standby with water pumps, excavators, and other heavy equipment to assist once conditions stabilize.
Rescue teams had been searching for a 64-year-old man reported missing since the landslide. However, authorities suspended the operation Thursday afternoon, citing the instability of the debris and the risk of additional rockfalls.
The devastation has left residents struggling to comprehend the scale of the disaster. Scientists suggest the event underscores the dramatic impact of climate change on the Alps, where glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate.
Matthias Huss, head of Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, told Reuters that climate change likely destabilized the rock mass in the permafrost zone, leading to the glacier’s collapse. "Unexpected things happen in places we haven’t seen for hundreds of years, most probably due to climate change," he said.
Authorities declared a state of emergency as they monitored the debris blocking the Lonza River. Antoine Jacquod, a military security official, warned of a "serious risk of an ice jam" that could flood the valley below.
An artificial dam has been emptied to contain the backed-up water, but officials cautioned that if it overflows, further evacuations may be necessary. Meanwhile, helicopters have been airlifting livestock from the affected area.
Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais canton, reported that water levels behind the debris were rising by 80 centimeters per hour. Residents in nearby Alpine communities have been advised to prepare for possible evacuation.
As Switzerland grapples with the aftermath, the event serves as a stark reminder of the accelerating effects of climate change on fragile mountain ecosystems.