Satellite imagery from the glacial collapse in Switzerland shows the extent of damage suffered by a village and its residents.

Why It Matters

Footage of the Birch Glacier’s collapse on Wednesday has widely circulated, with photos and videos showing a violent surge of ice, rock, and mud, followed by a dense dust cloud that soon engulfed the Alpine village of Blatten.

Homes disappeared beneath thick brown sludge as the collapse triggered a debris avalanche, described by local officials as a “major catastrophe.”

What To Know

“The damage is considerable,” the Valais local government said in a statement on Thursday. “The Lonza River is blocked, and a lake is forming. The challenge lies in the behavior of this accumulation of water and the Lonza River, which could cause a torrential lava flow if the river overflows onto the deposit.”

In advance of the environmental disaster caused by the 1.5 million-cubic-meter (over 52 million cubic feet) Birch Glacier above the village, officials ordered the evacuation of the village’s approximately 300 residents and all livestock.

Blatten is in the Valais region, south of Switzerland’s capital, Bern.

Stéphane Ganzer, the head of security for the Valais region, told Canal9 TV, “What I can tell you at the moment is that about 90 percent of the village is covered or destroyed, so it’s a major catastrophe that has happened here in Blatten,” according to the Associated Press.

Ganzer added that there is a risk that the situation “could get worse,” citing not just the burial of the village but also the blockage of the nearby Lonza River, which has increased concerns about flooding.

Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti described the disaster as “an extraordinary event” in a news conference, adding that support would be provided to those who lost their homes.

Authorities reported a 64-year-old man missing, prompting a search operation aided by drones with thermal imaging.

Days prior to the actual event, in anticipation of the collapse on mountain slopes, videos shared on social media showed local officials strapping cows to helicopters and transporting them to safety.

In addition to the 300 evacuated residents, livestock evacuations included 26 cows, 190 sheep and 20 rabbits, according to one video posted online. Newsweek could not verify the information.

What People Are Saying

Christophe Lambiel, a specialist in high-mountain geology and glaciers at the University of Lausanne, told RTS Swiss Television: “What happened is the unthinkable, the catastrophic worst-case scenario.”

Valais Cantonal Police, in a statement: “The missing person is a 64-year-old resident of the region, who, according to our information, was in the area concerned at the time of the event.

“Despite the great efforts made, the man has still not been found. Various additional measures and options for locating the person are continuously analyzed. The search continues.”

Jonas Jeitziner, a local official from neighboring Wiler, said, according to Reuters: “Right now, the shock is so profound that one can’t think about it yet.”

What Happens Next

The Valais local government stated that significant resources have been deployed to address this situation, including the army conducting reconnaissance and mobilizing its own resources. Civil protection has also been mobilized.

Residents have been urged to comply with the authorities’ instructions and refrain from traveling to the affected area.