The small Swiss village of Blatten was partially destroyed by collapsed glacier debris.
Videos of natural disasters show that the hill town has only 300 people, and was swallowed up by debris after 1.5 million cubic meters of glacier collapsed and was pierced into the loetschental valley.
In addition to the picturesque snowy environment, Braden is also known for racing around the Sueith, a multi-stage cycling race that is often used by participants as a warm-up for the Tour de France.
On Wednesday, Bratten Mayor Matthias Bellwald said that “unthinkable” happened before promising the village to pass.
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Meanwhile, Stephane Ganzer, the security chief in southern Valais, said on local TV channel Canal9: “I can tell you now that about 90% of the villages were covered or destroyed, which is a major disaster in Blatten, so it is not immediately clear that anyone is injured and that in the case of flow, it is a popular range.
“There is a risk of worsening situations,” he told Canal9.
Despite the scale of the disaster, no death has been reported. The village was evacuated on May 19 as experts expected to collapse.
According to Reuters, an assessment of rock movement on the hillside has led authorities to believe that unprecedented numbers are expected to fall to the hillside.
The loose rock sat above the glacier and authorities warned that it could use it to pull down the ice.
Local authorities convened the Swiss Army's disaster relief department, as well as search and rescue helicopters accused of assessing the scale of damage. The BBC said government members are also heading to the scene.
After the disaster, Bellwald seemed to stop the tears, saying, “We have lost the village, but not our hearts. We will support each other and comfort each other. After a long night, it's morning again.”
The Swiss government has committed to providing funds to ensure residents can return to their homes, or at least stay in the area.
Drone videos show that at around 3:30 p.m. local time, a large part of the birch glacier collapsed, causing roars as a large amount of debris and ice spread throughout the valley.
For years, glacologists monitoring melts have warned that some alpine towns could be at risk due to the collapse of Breten, the BBC said.
Two years ago, people living in the village of Brienz in eastern Switzerland were evacuated as the mountainside above the town was at risk of an impending collapse. Its residents are not allowed to return full-time.
– Documents from Reuters and AP
& Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
