Glacier collapse devastates Swiss village

Most of Blatten lies buried under mud and rock, with one person unaccounted for.
Text: Óscar Ontañón Docal
Published 2025-05-29

The latest news on Switzerland. On Wednesday, a powerful landslide triggered by a glacier collapse has engulfed nearly all of the Swiss alpine village of Blatten, leaving one person unaccounted for, according to officials.

The area had been evacuated earlier this month amid warnings of instability, but the force and scale of the collapse exceeded expectations. Authorities point to a mix of geological erosion and increasingly warmer alpine temperatures as contributing factors.

Blatten, Switzerland - January 19. 2022: Chalet village in the Loetschental village with its modern church. The town is well known for traditional wooden chalets and barns built closely together

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