Imminent landslide in Valais: the village of Blatten evacuated

Post on: 20.05.2025

Landslide imminent in Valais: the village of Blatten evacuated, «The mountain is coming»

Blatten (VS), May 19, 2025 – È una corsa contro il tempo quella in corso in Vallese, dove le autorità confermano che una frana di proporzioni eccezionali è ormai inevitabile. Nel piccolo comune di Blatten, nella Lötschental, la situazione è diventata talmente critica che tutti i circa 300 abitanti sono stati evacuati nelle ultime ore, insieme a una trentina di turisti già trasferiti sabato.

During a press conference held in the afternoon, representatives of the Cantonal Natural Risks Service spoke bluntly: between 2 and 5 million cubic meters of rock and debris are ready to detach from the mountain and fall towards the valley. To date, about 200,000 cubic meters have already descended, in several partial landslides that have occurred since the weekend.

An abandoned village under surveillance

The village is now completely deserted and under 24-hour surveillance. The population has been temporarily accommodated in the nearby town of Wiler, thanks to the intervention of the civil protection and the solidarity of numerous private individuals. The access road has been closed, except for exemptions for specific needs.

«The mountain is coming», declared Alban Brigger of the DNAGE with clarity, «and it is no longer a matter of understanding if it will happen, but when and how much material will fall». He specified that the hope is for the detachments to continue gradually and in a contained manner, but the worst-case scenario - a massive and sudden collapse - cannot be ruled out.

The Birch Glacier and cracks in the mountain

The situation worsened following a first landslide originating from the Kleines Nesthorn area, which also involved a portion of the Birch Glacier, under observation since the '90s. The event generated a debris flow comparable to a small avalanche, triggering the current state of alert. In recent days, deep collapses of several meters and the formation of new cracks have been detected along the slope.

According to experts, the melting of snow above 2,500 meters in altitude could have destabilized the area, already fragile due to climate warming and progressive geomorphological changes.

Fear and uncertainty among the evacuees

The mayor of Blatten, Mathias Bellwald, admitted that until a few days ago no one could imagine such a scenario. «We hope to be able to return home soon», he said, thanking the citizens for their composure and demonstrated courage.

Among the evacuees, however, uncertainty reigns. Some residents, interviewed by the local press, are convinced that the landslide will forever change the appearance of the village, and fear that it will no longer be possible to live safely in Blatten. The wait now is filled with tense and silent hours, while the mountain creaks under the weight of its own destiny.