Swiss landslide leaves Blatten in ruins but spares lives
In the Swiss valley of Lötschental, a dramatic landslide nearly destroyed the mountain village of Blatten entirely. A massive avalanche of ice and rocks swept away the buildings. As reported by the German newspaper "Bild," nature left behind a mysterious "Ice King" at the site of the disaster.
Main information
- An avalanche destroyed the village of Blatten in Switzerland.
- Three hundred sixty-five residents were evacuated from the Lötschental region.
- The phenomenon is linked to climate change.
Disaster in Lötschental
On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 28th, a dramatic landslide occurred in the picturesque Lötschental valley in the Swiss Alps. Masses of ice, rocks, and mud descended from the mountain slopes with great force, nearly destroying the mountain village of Blatten entirely. Thanks to a swift and effective evacuation of the residents, carried out even before the disaster struck, fatalities were avoided.
According to the German newspaper "Bild," the threat prompted 365 people to evacuate their homes. Although no one was killed, many residents lost all their possessions and were left homeless. The scale of the destruction is enormous.
Disaster in Switzerland
Experts warn that these types of phenomena will intensify. Professor Michael Krautblatter from the Technical University of Munich, in an interview with the newspaper "Bild," highlighted the direct link between climate change and the increasing risk of landslides in mountainous regions.
The melting permafrost, which previously stabilized the mountain slopes, is increasingly losing its structure, leading to the destabilization of entire rock masses.
Shortly after the disaster, an extraordinary phenomenon appeared at the site of the landslide—a natural ice formation, dubbed the "Gletscher-König," or "Ice King." As noted by the newspaper "Bild," the figure has become a symbol of the untamed and unpredictable power of nature, which can destroy in an instant what humans have built over the years.
