Shocking
Massive Glacial Avalanche Hits A Small Mountain Town Blatten In Switzerland
The small village of Blatten, located in the Swiss Alps, has suffered a severe catastrophe after a large section of a glacier broke off, causing extensive damage.
Residents of the village had been preemptively evacuated last week due to the risk of such an event. However, at least one person is still missing, according to the latest reports.
The glacier section collapsed around 3:30 PM yesterday, triggering an avalanche of ice, mud, and rocks. In the small village of about 300 inhabitants, dozens of houses were completely destroyed, according to local media.
RSI Info, Facebook
Thousands of cubic meters of debris also buried the riverbed, posing a serious risk of flooding. Part of the village was already flooded by the afternoon. According to recent data, up to 90% of the village may have been buried. The mass of debris that thundered into the valley was so massive that seismological stations recorded ground shaking with a magnitude of 3.1.
The moment the avalanche was triggered:
On the night of the previous Wednesday, about 1.5 million cubic meters of rock had already slid from Mount Bietschhorn toward the valley, but that avalanche stopped near a creek close to the village. Yesterday's event was significantly larger - part of the village has been completely wiped off the map. Take a look at the terrifying aftermath of the disaster that struck Blatten in southwestern Switzerland.
Aerial footage of the disaster:
Residents of the village had been preemptively evacuated last week due to the risk of such an event. However, at least one person is still missing, according to the latest reports.
The glacier section collapsed around 3:30 PM yesterday, triggering an avalanche of ice, mud, and rocks. In the small village of about 300 inhabitants, dozens of houses were completely destroyed, according to local media.
RSI Info, Facebook
Thousands of cubic meters of debris also buried the riverbed, posing a serious risk of flooding. Part of the village was already flooded by the afternoon. According to recent data, up to 90% of the village may have been buried. The mass of debris that thundered into the valley was so massive that seismological stations recorded ground shaking with a magnitude of 3.1.
The moment the avalanche was triggered:
On the night of the previous Wednesday, about 1.5 million cubic meters of rock had already slid from Mount Bietschhorn toward the valley, but that avalanche stopped near a creek close to the village. Yesterday's event was significantly larger - part of the village has been completely wiped off the map. Take a look at the terrifying aftermath of the disaster that struck Blatten in southwestern Switzerland.
Aerial footage of the disaster:
