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Glacier collapse swallows part of Swiss village
A Swiss mountain village has been buried in a deluge of ice, mud and rock, after a big chunk of the Birch glacier collapsed into the valley below.
The village of Blatten, which was evacuated of its roughly 300 residents several days ago, was on Wednesday overwhelmed by thousands of tonnes of mud and ice.
Global warming is causing glaciers to melt more rapidly. Meanwhile, the permafrost – often described as the glue that holds high mountains together – is also thawing.
One person has been reported missing, and many homes have been flattened.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c8617682pl7o
The village of Blatten, which was evacuated of its roughly 300 residents several days ago, was on Wednesday overwhelmed by thousands of tonnes of mud and ice.
Global warming is causing glaciers to melt more rapidly. Meanwhile, the permafrost – often described as the glue that holds high mountains together – is also thawing.
One person has been reported missing, and many homes have been flattened.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c8617682pl7o
Video at link.
Glacier collapses burying large parts of Swiss village Blatten
A large section of the Birch Glacier below the landslide area, which was at risk of falling, broke off in one go at around 3:30pm on Wednesday afternoon. The glacier collapse caused an earthquake measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale.
Videos posted on social media and Swiss public broadcaster SRFExternal link show the glacier collapsing and masses of debris rolling towards the valley at breathtaking speed, accompanied by a huge cloud of dust.
On Wednesday morning, the local government in Canton Valais had already declared the Lötschental to be in a “special situation”. The authorities said this measure would ensure they could “react as quickly as possible, if necessary mobilising several large-scale intervention resources (cantonal control body, civil protection, even the army) as soon as necessary”, it explained in a press release.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/various/glacier-collapses-burying-large-parts-of-swiss-village-blatten/89425126
A large section of the Birch Glacier below the landslide area, which was at risk of falling, broke off in one go at around 3:30pm on Wednesday afternoon. The glacier collapse caused an earthquake measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale.
Videos posted on social media and Swiss public broadcaster SRFExternal link show the glacier collapsing and masses of debris rolling towards the valley at breathtaking speed, accompanied by a huge cloud of dust.
On Wednesday morning, the local government in Canton Valais had already declared the Lötschental to be in a “special situation”. The authorities said this measure would ensure they could “react as quickly as possible, if necessary mobilising several large-scale intervention resources (cantonal control body, civil protection, even the army) as soon as necessary”, it explained in a press release.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/various/glacier-collapses-burying-large-parts-of-swiss-village-blatten/89425126
More arial video here (commentary in German): https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/gletscherabbruch-sorge-vor-murgang-nach-bergsturz-armee-ins-tal-unterwegs
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