A massive glacier collapse devastated the Alpine village of Blatten in Switzerland’s Lötschental valley, covering nearly
the entire community in mud and debris. About 300 residents had been evacuated just days earlier due to fears the Birch Glacier
might give way. On May 28, a large section of the glacier broke off, sending mud and dust across the area and burying much of
the Lonza River bed. Authorities called it a “major catastrophe,” with roughly 90% of the village damaged. One man, 64, is missing,
and search efforts are ongoing. Swiss glaciologists have long warned that climate change is accelerating glacier melt. In 2023 alone
Switzerland lost 4% of its total glacier volume — the second-largest decline on record. Mayor Matthias Bellwald said: “We have
lost our village, but not our heart… After a long night, it will be morning again.” Experts believe the collapse was caused by
the thawing of permafrost, weakening the rock beneath the glacier — another stark consequence of a warming climate
