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The quiet Alpine village of Blatten in southern Switzerland faced a catastrophic event on May 28, 2025, as a significant portion of the Birch glacier gave way. The collapse unleashed an enormous surge of ice, rock, mud, and water, engulfing nearly 90 percent of the village and posing severe flood risks to the region.

The disaster, which forced a swift evacuation of Blatten’s 300 residents, has been linked to the thawing of permafrost exacerbated by global warming. Scientists had been observing instability in the area weeks prior, noting that loose rocks were moving and causing shifts in the glacier. Matthias Huss, a leading expert on Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland, pointed out that such sudden changes in historically stable areas are likely driven by rising temperatures. Warmer conditions allow water to seep between rocks, undermining their cohesion and speeding up erosion processes, leading to landslides.

As a result of the iceberg's collapse, a natural dam, approximately 2 kilometers in length, formed and obstructed the flow of the River Lonza. This blockage has created a rapidly expanding lake, with water levels rising around 80 centimeters every hour and accumulating up to one million cubic meters of water daily. Officials have declared a state of emergency, highlighting the grave flood risks if the debris dam fails. Antoine Jacquod, a military security official, warned about the potential for an ice jam that could inundate the valley.

Precautionary evacuations have extended to nearby villages Gampel and Steg as well as other downstream communities. Authorities have also taken measures by emptying an artificial dam downstream to manage the influx of water. Despite these efforts, the unstable nature of the debris flow hinders direct intervention, necessitating extreme caution.

The Swiss military is on standby with an array of equipment including water pumps, diggers, and heavy machinery, ready to assist as conditions allow. Helicopters are conducting damage assessments, and livestock from vulnerable areas are being evacuated. The residents of Blatten remain in shock. Local resident Martin Henzen remarked on the community's unexpected encounter with such a magnitude of destruction, despite their general preparedness for natural disasters. Jonas Jeitziner, an official from the neighboring village of Wiler, echoed the profound shock felt by the community, noting that the path to recovery is just beginning.