A significant portion of a glacier in the Swiss Alps broke away on Wednesday afternoon, triggering a massive flow of ice, mud, and rock that engulfed part of the mountain village of Blatten. Authorities confirmed that one individual remains missing following the disaster.
Drone footage aired by Swiss national broadcaster SRF revealed an extensive area of mud and debris covering sections of Blatten, including the river and the wooded valley slopes surrounding the village.
"An extraordinary volume of material rushed down into the valley," stated Matthias Ebener, spokesperson for local officials in the southwestern canton of Valais. The devastation included destroyed wooden structures visible amidst the debris.
Blatten, home to approximately 300 residents, had been evacuated on May 19 after geologists warned of an imminent avalanche risk posed by unstable rock and ice formations above the village. Despite these precautions, the rockslide severely damaged buildings and infrastructure.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed her condolences to those affected, emphasizing the hardships of losing one’s home. She urged the public to avoid the area, with emergency teams closing off the main access road to the valley due to ongoing hazards.
Authorities had been closely monitoring the slopes prior to ordering the evacuation. A widely circulated video captured the glacier’s partial collapse, showing a massive dust cloud enveloping the mountainside as debris cascaded down to the village outskirts.
