Disaster in the Lötschental: Glacier canceling threatens with tidal wave!

Disaster in the Lötschental: Glacier canceling threatens with tidal wave!

In the Lötschental in Switzerland, a drop in glacier has devastating consequences for the inhabitants of the small village of Blatten. On Wednesday, around three million cubic meters of rock and ice plunged into the valley, which resulted in a massive tidal wave. This builds up the Lonza river and has already led to flooding in several houses. Heavy rock and ice masses have created a meter-high dam that brings the danger of a dam break and the congregations in the lower valley brings into acute danger, such as Schwäbische.de reported.

The assessment of geologist Flavio Anselmetti from the University of Bern, which warns of a possible chain reaction, is particularly alarming. The abortion exceeds the worst expectations of the authorities. "There is a risk that water will build up to the crown of the mountain climber dam," explains Anselmetti. A collapse of the dam could trigger catastrophic tidal waves and misery, which also threaten the evacuated communities of Wiler and Tilt.

evacuations and missing

The authorities have already brought 16 inhabitants of the endangered communities to safety. The situation is dramatic for the village of Blatten, which was already cleared the previous week: several houses are destroyed or flooded, and a 64-year-old man is missing. Mayor Matthias Bellwald commented on the loss of the village, but emphasized the will of the municipality for reconstruction, although numerous buildings have become obsolete due to the abortion, such as Press added.

The vibrations that were triggered by the end of the glacier were noticeable nationwide and had a strength of 3.1. Anselmetti describes the event as "historically unprecedented". The rubble cone, which was created after the bay glacier was demolished, is two kilometers long, up to 200 meters wide and now forms a critical barrier for the water masses of the river.

The danger remains

The situation remains tense. According to the authorities, the dam could break at any time, which could have catastrophic consequences for the surrounding communities. There is still a risk of further muries and floods. It remains unclear whether further rocks and ice are in motion and whether the masses that have already dilated are sufficient to bring the situation under control, explains Anselmetti and emphasizes the urgency to observe the situation closely, like SRF reported.

While the Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter and other government members visited the disaster area to offer support, hope for a quick normalization of the situation remains low. Those who survived the accident are faced with the difficult challenge of dealing with the consequences of the abortion and preparing for the uncertain future.