Astonishing footage captures the moment an idyllic village is wiped out by glacier landslide

It’s believed 90 per cent of the village was levelled on Wednesday

1 week ago

Just a few weeks after the picturesque village of Blatten, Switzerland, was evacuated over fears of an impending rockslide, a huge section of glacier broke off from the Swiss Alps and wiped out the surrounding areas in a terrifying sea of ice, mud and rock.

Just 10 days ago, geologists warned the people of Blatten that a portion of the Birch Glacier was at risk of breaking off and creating a deadly landslide. The people were evacuated on May 19, but on Wednesday, their worst fears were confirmed when “an unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley.”

SPEECHLESS BEFORE / AFTER #BLATTEN

The magnitude of destruction after the 3:24 pm collapse of Birch Glacier is immense! 😱

All the forest has been razed and the ice/wood/debris dammed the Lonza river 🌊

Some buildings of Blatten are buried 🏠

📷 Pomona pic.twitter.com/VU2hfJtE97

— Melaine Le Roy (@subfossilguy) May 28, 2025

Around 90 per cent of the village, which was once home to over 300 people, was covered by three million cubic metres of material, with the homes untouched by the landslide now flooded from melting ice.

“What I can tell you at the moment is that about 90% of the village is covered or destroyed, so it’s a major catastrophe that has happened here in Blatten,” Stephane Ganzer, the head of security in the southern Valais region, told local TV channel Canal9. “There’s a risk that the situation could get worse.”

BREAKING: Massive Glacier Collapse in Blatten, Valais (Switzerland) – May 28, 2025

Over 3.5 million m³ of ice, rock, and snow collapsed from the Birch Glacier, putting 9 million tons of pressure on the glacier.

The entire village of Blatten (approx. 300 people) was evacuated in… pic.twitter.com/ntmV35GL8o

— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) May 28, 2025

Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten, said that his people intend to rebuild their village in Switzerland following the glacier landslide, telling reporters at a press conference: “We’ve lost our village. The village is under rubble. We will rebuild.”

Only one person has been reported as missing, but it’s not clear why he was in the village when it was evacuated earlier this month. The army has been mobilised along with three specialists armed with thermal imaging cameras, but “despite significant efforts, the man has still not been found,” police said.

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Local news outlets and people in Switzerland have been sharing footage on Twitter, most of which shows widespread devastation to the once picture-perfect area. Houses could be seen swallowed by mud as trees became flattened, and icy smoke was cast into the air.

Experts believe several factors contributed to Blatten being wiped off Switzerland’s map, with Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich, suggesting climate change played a part as permafrost melted under increased temperatures.

Homes that survived the glacier landslide are now underwater

Aerial footage of Blatten in Switzerland after glacier collapse. pic.twitter.com/TsmSXhUgIa

— Disasters Daily (@DisastersAndI) May 29, 2025

Before and after shots show utter devastation in Blatten, Switzerland

before and after today’s glacier collapse that buried 90% of blatten, switzerland pic.twitter.com/fp17L3GYc9

— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) May 28, 2025

Cows were airlifted from the scene

🇨🇭Cows are being evacuated in Switzerland.

Near the village of Blatten, mountain slopes are in danger of collapsing, and local pastures are under threat. Rescuers are strapping each cow to a helicopter and transporting them to safety. pic.twitter.com/Gp9R3k5PUe

— Abhimanyu Manjhi (@AbhimanyuManjh5) May 25, 2025

The village now looks completely different

The village of Blatten in Switzerland is partly buried by the collapse of a glacier which melted because our greenhouse gas emissions warmed the climate.

Another reminder that not investing enough today to reduce emissions means far greater costs for society in the long term. pic.twitter.com/TKD9MdkZPg

— Ed Hawkins (@ed_hawkins) May 29, 2025

Some properties did seemingly survive

#Blatten pic.twitter.com/lYBoQzkO5H

— hεt 🧬 (@dxmmhet) May 29, 2025

A close up of the breakaway moment

Repeated break-offs from the glacier above the evacuated village of Blatten in Switzerland continue to pose a serious threat.#nocomment pic.twitter.com/huv67D0nxQ

— NoComment (@nocomment) May 28, 2025

This is still a developing situation, with more information expected to follow as experts warn that it is likely to worsen.

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Featured image credit: National broadcaster SRF