Situation in Swiss landslide valley remains unstable

The Lötschental valley, and the remains of the village of Blatten, on Thursday. Keystone-SDA

Authorities in canton Valais said on Thursday that it was still too dangerous to undertake any clear-up measures in the area around the village of Blatten.

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A risk of mudslides remains on both sides of the Lötschental valley, cantonal authorities said on Thursday around midday. The situation on the Kleiner Nesthorn, the mountain where the landslide began on Wednesday, is also still unstable. Several hundred thousand cubic metres of rock are affected.

Debris flows could also occur due to the masses of rock, ice and water now lying in the valley. The material is unstable.

On Wednesday virtually the entire Birch Glacier above the village of Blatten collapsed, leading to a debris deposit on the valley floor which is several dozen metres thick and two kilometres long.

>> Watch the collapse of the Birch Glacier above Blatten in southern Switzerland on May 28, 2025:

Most of the village was buried and debris is now blocking the Lonza river, which has caused a lake to form, which has in turn flooded houses that were spared during the landslide.

According to authorities, the main danger now depends on the river and the built-up water in the lake; if water runs over the debris deposit, fresh landslides could occur.

Emergency services are on site. The Swiss army is getting an initial picture of the situation and is ready to call on additional resources. Civil protection teams have also been deployed.

>>Blatten before and after the landslide: on November 3, 2024, and May 29, 2025:

Support tools – pumps, clearing vehicles, debris removal and lighting masts – have been requested by the cantonal command centre in Valais. Army help has been requested to transport the equipment by air. Specialist engineering firms were also called in.

Meanwhile the road from Goppenstein in the direction of Blatten remains closed. Only local residents and emergency vehicles are allowed to pass. The canton of Valais will do everything in its power to support the affected population as much as possible, it said on Thursday.

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Translated from German by DeepL/dos

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