The Swiss glacier collapse is not an isolated event. Just last week, Blatten was buried under a massive avalanche of rock and ice from the Birch Glacier and the nearby Lonza River bed.

In the past century, scientists have observed more rockfalls and avalanches in the Alps, a looming threat to nearby villages.

An aerial view shows the destruction of Blatten, Switzerland, Thursday, May 29, 2025, one day after a massive debris avalanche, triggered by the collapse of the Birch Glacier, swept down to the ...

The dramatic collapse of Switzerland's Birch glacier, which wiped out a village, is an unprecedented disaster likely to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, the Swiss Insurance Association said ...

The aftermath of the Birch Glacier collapse is visible in Blatten, Switzerland, June 11, 2025. Credit: AP “This is a situation we are seeing more and more often on our glaciers: That the ice is ...

The collapsed glacier has blocked the river Lonza The dramatic collapse of Switzerland's Birch glacier, which wiped out a village, is an unprecedented disaster likely to cost hundreds of millions ...

Swiss glacier collapse renews focus on risks of climate change as glaciers retreat around the world Climate change is playing a role in almost every glacier collapse nowadays.