Village Destroyed by Glacier Fills with Water, Residents' Fears Grow

The tragic events of Blatten continue. The massive landslide that destroyed the village in the Alps on Thursday, May 29, does not mean the end of the threat. The glacier that fell on the settlement has begun to melt, and the valley has filled with water. The risk of flooding is growing, which could also affect neighboring villages. In the case of Blatten, the authorities managed to evacuate the residents before the element struck. One person is considered missing.

A landslide in the Alps has destroyed a village

The village of Blatten in the Swiss canton of Valais was wiped out by a landslide triggered by a broken section of the Birch Glacier. The tragedy occurred on Thursday, May 29, ten days after the successful evacuation of residents from the threatened area. Unfortunately, one person remained on the site. The 64-year-old man is missing and drones are currently being used to search for him.

The enormous tragedy of losing a place to live is not the end of the troubles for the inhabitants of the region. The valley where the glacier settled is now filling with water. A pile of glacial debris, which stretches for two kilometers, is blocking the nearby Lonza River. The risk of flooding, which could also flood neighboring villages, is therefore growing.

The threat in Blatten has not passed

Unfortunately, the damaged area is currently too unstable to begin a real flood risk assessment there – this is not due to be carried out until this afternoon at the earliest. Already, given the scale of the destruction in the village of Blatten, it has been decided to evacuate sixteen people from the areas below. Other safety measures have also been taken. "The artificial dam has been emptied to take in the water pushed back by the wall of ice, earth and rubble. If the water were to overflow the dam, the authorities would have to consider evacuating the valley," we read in Deutsche Welle.

Residents do not hide their surprise at the recent events. "The shock is so deep right now that it is hard to even begin to think about it all soberly," says Jonas Jeitziner, an official from the neighboring village of Wiler.

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