🏔️ Blatten, Switzerland
Alpine village devastated by Birch Glacier collapse, May 2025
📋 Fast Facts
- Location: Lötschental valley, Valais canton, Switzerland
- Event: Birch Glacier collapse on May 28, 2025
- Impact: Approximately 90% of village buried; 3+ million cubic metres of ice and debris released
- Casualties: One person missing; all 300 residents evacuated before collapse
On May 28, 2025, the Alpine village of Blatten in Switzerland's Lötschental valley was devastated when the Birch Glacier collapsed following a series of rockfalls from Kleines Nesthorn mountain. The disaster buried nearly 90% of the settlement and created immediate hazards to downstream communities. Advanced geologic warnings enabled authorities to evacuate all 300 residents by May 19, though one individual remains missing ...