Glacier collapse buries Swiss village days after evacuation

Mud and ice engulf evacuated Swiss village in Alps disaster

Robert Besser
31 May 2025, 22:56 GMT+10

Glacier collapse buries Swiss village days after evacuation

A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps sent a torrent of ice, mud, and rock crashing into the evacuated village of Blatten on May 28, Swiss authorities said
It engulfed parts of the remote mountain community just days after residents were ordered to leave
Drone footage aired by national broadcaster SRF revealed the aftermath: a blanket of earth and debris covering much of the Loetschental valley floor, swallowing parts of the river and the wooded slopes around it

GENEVA, Switzerland: A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps sent a torrent of ice, mud, and rock crashing into the evacuated village of Blatten on May 28, Swiss authorities said, engulfing parts of the remote mountain community just days after residents were ordered to leave.

Drone footage aired by national broadcaster SRF revealed the aftermath: a blanket of earth and debris covering much of the Loetschental valley floor, swallowing parts of the river and the wooded slopes around it.

"An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley," said Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities in the canton of Valais. He confirmed there were no reports of injuries or fatalities.

The dramatic force of the slide flattened structures in its path. Shattered wooden buildings lay strewn across the edge of the debris field. The village's 300 residents had been evacuated on May 19 after geologists flagged an imminent risk of collapse from the slopes above.

SRF reported that multiple homes in Blatten were destroyed. Authorities had been closely monitoring the mountainside prior to the event.

One widely shared video captured the moment of the collapse: a huge plume of dust rising as rock and glacier ice roared downhill toward the village.