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yesterday

Swiss army mobilized to clear debris and avert flood after Birch glacier collapse

Troops are pumping water from the Lonza River reservoir created by the collapse after villagers were evacuated days before.

De la poussière au-dessus de la montagne Bietschhorn après l'effondrement du glacier du Birch et un glissement de terrain qui a projeté des tonnes de roches, de glace et d'éboulis dans la vallée et détruit le village de Blatten, dans les Alpes suisses, le 31 mai 2025
Vue aérienne du village de Blatten, dans les Alpes suisses, submergé par la rivière Lonza, après l'effondrement du glacier du Birch et un glissement de terrain qui a projeté des tonnes de roches, de glace et d'éboulis sur le flanc de la montagne et dans la vallée, le 31 mai 2025

Overview

  • Swiss military engineers are removing millions of tons of rock and ice and pumping out a lake formed by the glacier’s natural dam on the Lonza River.
  • Preventive evacuation of 300 residents in Blatten prevented large-scale casualties, though one person remains unaccounted for.
  • Glaciologists say cascading rockfalls from the Petit Nesthorn and probable permafrost thaw triggered the glacier’s sudden collapse.
  • The Birch glacier’s rare advance—fueled by the weight of accumulated debris on a steep slope—amplified the slide’s force.
  • Experts warn that rapidly melting Himalayan glaciers and gaps in monitoring capacity in Asia pose comparable risks and demand stronger early warnings.