Entire Village Wiped Out, Buried After Glacier Collapsed, Destroying Everything

• A catastrophic glacier collapse on 29 May devastated the Swiss Alpine village of Blatten, wiping out nearly everything in its path
• Authorities had evacuated residents days earlier, but scientists did not anticipate the full-scale destruction that unfolded
• Dramatic footage of the disaster shocked the world, as a massive cloud of ice, rock, and debris engulfed the valley

On 29 May, a catastrophic event unfolded in the Swiss Alps when the Birch Glacier, carrying rock and debris, detached and thundered down the mountainside.

The devastation left Blatten, a village in the Valais region south of Bern, largely wiped out.

Anticipating potential danger, scientists warned of a looming catastrophe. In response, authorities evacuated the village’s 300 residents on 19 May, airlifting sheep and grazing cows to safety. Despite these precautions, the sheer scale of destruction exceeded expectations.

Viral footage captures Glacier collapse

Dramatic video footage of the glacier disintegrating went viral on Wednesday afternoon, shocking viewers worldwide. A colossal cloud of rock, ice, and dirt billowed into the air, resembling the aftermath of an atomic bomb explosion.

"What happened is the unthinkable, the catastrophic worst-case scenario," Christophe Lambiel, a high-mountain geology and glacier specialist from the University of Lausanne, told RTS Swiss Television. Lambiel explained that scientists observed increasingly frequent rockfalls onto the glacier but did not foresee its total collapse.

Massive ice and rock deposits blanket valley

According to a press release from the Valais local government, the Birch Glacier has nearly entirely collapsed above Blatten village.

The valley is now covered in ice and rock, measuring several dozens of yards thick and about a mile long. "The damage is considerable," the statement confirmed.

Concerns over River blockage and emerging lake

The natural disaster caused a blockage in a local river, prompting concerns over the formation of a lake.

Authorities warned that the accumulation of water in the valley could lead to a torrential lava flow if the Lonza River overflows onto the debris.

Police reported that one person, a 64-year-old man, is missing following the disaster.

Due to hazardous conditions, search operations have been temporarily suspended.

Climate change blamed for glacier collapse

Lambiel highlighted the unique nature of the Birch Glacier, stating, "It is the only glacier that has been advancing for the past decade… All the others are receding." He attributed its growth to rockfalls from above, increasing pressure on the ice.

However, he also emphasized the role of climate change: "The increase in the falling rocks is due to the melting permafrost, which increases instability." Over the past 10 to 15 years, permafrost temperatures have risen by at least 1 degree Celsius.

Officials and locals react to devastation

Raphaël Mayoraz, head of the Natural Hazards Service, estimated that approximately 3 million cubic meters of debris had accumulated on the glacier before the collapse. Reflecting on the disaster, Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti remarked, "Nature is stronger than human beings and mountain people know this well… But what happened today is absolutely extraordinary. It was the worst we could’ve imagined."

Despite the loss, Blatten's mayor, Matthias Bellwald, expressed resilience and hope. "We lost our village but not our lives," he said. "The village is under the gravel but we're going to get up. We are going to be in solidarity and rebuild. Everything is possible.”

Source: Legit.ng