Swiss glacier collapses, burying village: Video, satellites show Blatten before and after
A Swiss Alpine village has been buried by a massive debris field after a glacier collapsed on a nearby mountain. Reuters reports that 90% of Blatten, Switzerland is engulfed by ice, mud, and rock after what scientists suspect is a dramatic display of the impact of climate change on mountain communities.
"It’s critical to realize that we now have left the space of historical precedence and entered an era where we face new hazards from locations that have never been a problem in the past and where protection may be technically hardly possible or financially unfeasible," Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich, told Paste BN via email.
The community of 300 had been evacuated prior to the collapse of the Birch Glacier, but at least one 64-year-old man is still missing. Police suspended search efforts on May 29 citing instability in the debris. Making matters worse for the already devastated area, Reuters reports that a river blocked by glacial debris is raising the possibility of flooding and additional evacuations. The below video, satellite images, maps and photos show how the disaster unfolded.
Where is Blatten, Switzerland?
Glacier collapse, before and after:
Video of the glacier collapse:
More photos of Blatten before and after the landslide:
Read more: Is climate change to blame for the collapse? How do rock-ice avalanches happen?