Switzerland: Blatten glacier collapse, one year on
On May 28, 2025, a huge landslide buried the Swiss village of Blatten. One year on, reconstruction work is in full swing.
Massive landslide after glacier collapse
The small village of Blatten, in Switzerland's southwest, was once home to some 300 people. Then, in May 2025, a massive landslide devastated most of the village. The debris blocked the Lonza River, acting like a natural dam and causing flooding, which submerged the few remaining intact homes. Fortunately, village residents were evacuated before the avalanche struck.
Looming disaster
Since May 19, 2025, some 9 million cubic meters of rock had fallen from Kleines Nesthorn mountain above Blatten onto the Birch Glacier. The resulting mound of debris collapsed on May 28, causing ice and rock to thunder into the valley 2,600 meters (8,530 feet) below. Today, evidence of the disaster is still clearly visible on the mountain face.
Blanketed in debris
Blatten village was covered in rubble, with insurance companies estimating the disaster caused more than 250 million Swiss francs (€280 million/$326 million) in damage. All the residents lost their homes. But a year later, they're not giving up. Blatten will be rebuilt by 2030 at the latest, with new homes for all those who wish to return.
A new start
Blatten's hotels provided more than 200 beds, making it a key pillar of Lötschental valley's tourist economy. A few months after the landslide, Lukas Kalbermatten, whose family-run hotel was destroyed in the disaster, opened a temporary lodge above the devastated village.
Reconstruction efforts began right away
Blatten Mayor Matthias Bellwald has said plans to rebuild the village were hatched just two weeks after the landslide struck. This, he said, was intended to encourage villagers to return quickly, rather than move away permanently. "Some 75% of villagers have stayed, sharing our optimism that Blatten has a future," Bellwald told German news agency DPA.
Farmers — and livestock — return
Blatten's farmers have already brought their livestock back to graze on meadows around the devastated village. Since last week, some former residents have also returned to the few intact houses on its edge. Water and electricity have been restored, and fiber-optic internet is set to be available by summer.
New road in the works
In April, construction began on a new road that will be usable year round, expected to be completed within three to four years. Until then, a provisional road and a temporary cable car line provide access to the village.
Risk of future landslides
Geological experts warn that further rockslides from Kleines Nesthorn mountain remain possible. Authorities in the Swiss canton of Valais say around 70% of the area once covered by the municipality is still at risk of landslides, meaning no new homes can be built there. As a result, the rebuilt village of Blatten will be smaller and located further up the slope, out of harm's way.