Glacier cancellation in the Lötschental: Village Blatten sinks in the rubble!

Glacier cancellation in the Lötschental: Village Blatten sinks in the rubble!

in the Lötschental in the canton of Valais, Switzerland, there was a massive glacier abort on Wednesday, which has far -reaching consequences for the region. The Lonza mountain flow was looking for new ways into the valley after it was dammed behind a rubble cone. While the material, which was crashed during the demolition, has remained largely stable from ice, rock and rubble, the risk of an agency remains. At least nine people have already been killed by masses from ice, snow and rubble, such as Linth24 reported.

The municipalities of Gampel and Steg have informed the population about the use of construction machinery in order to ensure the smooth running of rubble and alloy wood through the lonza stream bed. The reservoir on the Lonza in Ferden fills again after it has been emptied as a precaution in order to be able to collect larger quantities. The water contains many sediments and therefore cannot be used for electricity production.

security measures and monitoring

In the region, surveillance devices are used to monitor the situation around the clock. Sections such as Gampel and Steg at the lower run of the Lonza are at risk because the Lonza flows through narrow concrete channels before entering the Rhone, which could step over the banks during floods. In order to ensure the safety of the population, the access to the mountain was blocked and punishments for regular violations were announced.

The municipality and the authorities use drones to look for possible victims, while the salvage work on the ground is not possible due to the instability of the glacier mass. Investigators plan to reconstruct the course of the accident and also ask witnesses to investigate possible causes. The judiciary in Trento found that the accident was not predictable.

consequences of climate change

Experts suspect that this cancellation of glacier has possible consequences of climate change. This year, above -average temperatures were recorded in the region, which accelerated the melting of the ice. In addition, the rainfall that would have been crucial for the stability of the glacier were missing in winter and spring. The decline in ice in the Italian mountains is also a phenomenon that has been observed for years that hikers have suggested to carefully plan their routes and find out about the conditions, such as noticeable

The village of Blatten, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the glacier, is almost completely below a meter -high rubble cone, and the 300 inhabitants were brought to safety. The authorities warn of further dropouts in the danger zone.

The events in the region already have a noticeable impact on the surrounding communities and once more represent the challenges that arise from climate change and the associated natural events.

For the affected communities, it is only to be hoped that the use of the rescue workers and the precautionary measures will help prevent major damage and losses.