Glacier Catastrophe: Swiss Village Engulfed by Giant Rockslide
A massive glacier chunk detached in the Swiss Alps, unleashing a torrent of ice, mud, and rock that buried a partially evacuated village. The dramatic collapse, captured on drone footage, led to the destruction of buildings and infrastructure but no reported casualties. Evacuations had been initiated earlier due to avalanche fears.
An enormous piece of glacier detached from the Swiss Alps on Wednesday, resulting in a cascade of ice, mud, and rocks that enveloped parts of Blatten, a mountain village that had been evacuated earlier due to avalanche threats, according to authorities.
Drone visuals by SRF depicted a vast layer of mud covering the village and its valley. Matthias Ebener, representing local authorities, confirmed no casualties were reported, but significant destruction of infrastructure occurred. The village's 300 residents were relocated on May 19 following warnings of potential rock and ice avalanches.
SRF also reported the destruction of several structures in the Loetschental valley. Vigilant monitoring of the adjacent slopes persists, as shown in widely circulated social media footage capturing the glacier's partial collapse, creating a massive debris cloud encircling the village perimeter.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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