Swiss Village of Blatten Nearly Wiped Out as Glacier Collapse Unleashes Devastating Landslide

A devastating glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps has nearly obliterated the small village of Blatten, leaving one person missing and the community in shock. The Birch Glacier, towering above the village in the Lötschental valley, gave way, unleashing a torrent of ice, mud, and rock that engulfed approximately 90% of the village. The nearby Lonza river was also buried, raising concerns about potential flooding from dammed waters.

Drone footage captured by Swiss national broadcaster SRF revealed a scene of utter devastation: the village, once home to 300 residents, was swamped by an unrecognizable sea of debris. “It’s a major catastrophe,” said Stephane Ganzer, head of security in Valais.

The community had been evacuated earlier this month due to warnings of a possible rockslide. Despite this precaution, the sheer scale of the disaster was overwhelming. “We’ve lost our village. It’s under rubble. We will rebuild,” vowed Matthias Bellwald, mayor of Blatten. One person remains missing, and authorities continue to monitor the area for further collapses.

Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter expressed her deep sympathy for the affected families and stressed the importance of staying away from the dangerous site. A widely circulated video showed the moment the glacier cracked, sending a massive cloud of debris surging into the valley.