May 29, Kathmandu-The Swiss village of Blatten has been partially destroyed after a massive section of the Birch glacier collapsed into the valley. Although the village had been evacuated days earlier due to fears the glacier was disintegrating, one person is reported missing, and many homes have been completely flattened. Blatten’s mayor, Matthias Bellwald, described the event as “the unimaginable,” but vowed that the village still had a future. Local authorities have called for assistance from the Swiss army’s disaster relief unit, and members of the Swiss government are en route to the site.

This disaster represents a nightmare scenario for Alpine communities. On 19 May, Blatten’s 300 residents were ordered to evacuate after geologists warned of increasing instability in the glacier. Now, many of them may never return. Fighting back tears, Mayor Bellwald declared, “We have lost our village, but not our heart. We will support each other and console each other. After a long night, it will be morning again.” The Swiss government has already pledged financial support to ensure that displaced residents can remain in the local area, even if they cannot return to Blatten itself.

Raphaël Mayoraz, head of the regional office for Natural Hazards, warned that further evacuations might be required in nearby regions. Climate change is driving glaciers to melt at an accelerating pace, and the thawing of permafrost—described as the glue holding the Alps together—is increasing the risk of landslides and collapses. Drone footage captured the moment the Birch glacier gave way at around 15:30 (14:30 BST) on Wednesday, sending a deafening avalanche of mud and ice into the valley and cloaking Blatten in a massive dust cloud.

Experts have long warned that some Alpine settlements are in danger. Blatten is not the first village to face evacuation; in eastern Switzerland, Brienz residents were forced to leave two years ago due to a crumbling mountainside and are still only allowed back for brief visits. In 2017, the village of Bondo experienced the country’s largest landslide in over a century, killing eight hikers and destroying numerous homes. A recent report on Switzerland’s glaciers warned that they could disappear within a century if global temperatures are not kept within 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels—a target many scientists believe has already been missed. As the climate warms, glacier melt and permafrost loss are expected to accelerate, putting more Alpine communities at risk of catastrophic disasters like the one now facing Blatten.