The small Swiss village of Blastten was partially destroyed by fragments of a collapsed glacier.
Images of the natural disaster show the tiny mountain city, which shelters only 300 people, becoming engulfed in the debris after a 1.5 million cubic meters glacier collapsed and rushed into the Lotetschental valley.
Aside from its picturesque and snowy environment, Blatten is known to be along the route of the Tour de Switzerland, a bicycle race with several stages often used by participants as a heating of the Tour de France.
On Wednesday, Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blastten, said that “the unimaginable” occurred before promising that the village would pass.
Meanwhile, Stéphane Ganzer, the head of security in the region of southern Valais, said on the local television channel Canal9, “what I can tell you for the moment is that about 90% of the village is covered or destroyed, so it is a major catastrophe that occurred here in blatant”, adding that it was not immediately clear if someone was injured and that the army was mobilized after fight against struggle.
“There is a risk that the situation can get worse,” he told Canal9.
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Despite the extent of the disaster, no death was reported. The village was evacuated on May 19 because the experts had anticipated the collapse.
According to Reuters, an assessment of the rock movement on the authorities led the authorities to believe that an unprecedented volume was about to tumble the side of the mountain.
The loosening rock was above the glacier and the authorities warned that it could lower the mass of ice with it.
Local authorities have called the rescue unit in the event of a Swiss army disaster, as well as research and rescue helicopters responsible for assessing the extent of the damage. Members of the government are also on their way to the stage, according to the Bbc.
After the disaster, Bellwald, seeming to retain tears, “said:” We have lost our village, but not our heart. We will support and console ourselves. After a long night, it will be again in the morning. ”
The Swiss government has already promised funding to ensure that residents can return home at the very least, stay in the region.
Drone sequences have shown a large part of the birch glacier collapsing around 3.30 p.m., the local time, causing a roar of beuglement while masses of debris and ice have plummeted through the valley.
For years, glaciologists who watch the thaw have warned that certain alpine cities could be in danger of the collapse seen in Blatten, the BBC said.
Two years ago, people living in the village of Brienz in eastern Switzerland were evacuated because the side of the mountain above the city was likely to collapse imminent. Its residents were not allowed to return full time.
– with Reuters and Associated Press files
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