### Swiss Alps Glacier Collapse Devastates Village of Blatten

A catastrophic glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday unleashed a massive landslide of ice, rocks, and mud, obliterating most of the village of Blatten. The incident occurred just nine days after its 300 residents had been evacuated as a preventive measure.

Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for the region's crisis management team, confirmed that at least one person is currently missing after the Birch Glacier disintegrated, burying Blatten, located in the Valais Canton in southern Switzerland. Drone footage captured the dramatic moment the glacier gave way, sending a cloud of dust cascading down the mountain.

The glacier, which was encased in approximately nine million tons of debris, had been advancing towards the valley at a rate of about eight to 11 feet per day before the collapse. Recovery from the extensive damage is expected to take years, officials stated during a news conference.

Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten, expressed the community's resilience, saying, "We've lost the village, but not the heart." Stéphane Ganzer, a state councilor for Valais Canton, reported that 90 percent of the village was buried under the landslide.

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed her sorrow on social media, acknowledging the devastating loss and extending her thoughts to the people affected. The disaster also registered as a 3.1-magnitude earthquake, raising concerns about potential flooding due to debris blocking a nearby riverbed.

Efforts to mitigate further risks are underway, with regional leaders requesting pumps and debris removal equipment from the army. The main road connecting Blatten to the nearby village of Goppenstein has been closed, except for local residents.

In the weeks leading up to the collapse, the precariously positioned glacier had been a significant threat to the picturesque hamlet in the Lötschental Valley. Authorities had already evacuated dozens of livestock, including 52 cattle, sheep, and domestic rabbits, to prevent loss of animal life.

This tragic event comes just a year after the village of Brienz, less than 60 miles northeast of Blatten, narrowly escaped a similar catastrophe when a landslide occurred, stopping just short of a schoolhouse. The chain of events underscores the pressing challenges posed by environmental hazards in the Alpine regions.