Overview

• Approximately 90% of Blatten, including around 130 homes and its church, lies buried beneath a debris field up to 200 meters thick.
• Rescue efforts have been halted due to unstable terrain with a 64-year-old resident still unaccounted for in the disaster zone.
• An estimated three million cubic meters of rock and ice have dammed the Lonza River, creating a lake that is rising at 80 centimeters per hour.
• Authorities have evacuated nearby settlements of Wiler, Kippel and Fafleralp to protect 16 residents from possible flood surges.
• The Swiss government has deployed army units and technical teams to monitor the dam, study controlled water-release options and prepare relief for displaced villagers.