Public service Interventions in the landslide area are not possible due to danger
Any interventions in the landslide area in the Lötschental in the canton of Valais are currently not possible due to the still dangerous situation. This is according to the canton of Valais. A large part of Blatten has been buried and numerous houses are under water.
29.05.2025, 12:06
29.05.2025, 12:35
SDA
There is a risk of mudslides on both sides of the valley, according to the situation report issued by the cantonal management body on Thursday afternoon. The situation on the Kleiner Nesthorn is still unstable. Several hundred thousand cubic meters of rock are affected. Debris flows could also occur due to the rock, ice and water lying in the valley. The material is unstable.
Almost the entire Birch Glacier above Blatten collapsed on Wednesday, according to the situation report from the Valais cantonal management body. Following the huge landslide, a several dozen meter thick and around two kilometer long deposit of ice and debris lies on the valley floor near Blatten.
Most of Blatten was buried, and debris is blocking the Lonza. As a result, a lake formed, which flooded houses that were spared during the landslide. According to the management body, the main danger depends on how the river and the dammed-up water behave. If water runs over the debris deposit, debris avalanches could occur.
Emergency services are on site. The army is getting an initial picture of the situation and is ready to mobilize additional resources. Considerable forces have been mobilized for the operation on site. Civil defense is also deployed.
Support measures - pumps, clearing vehicles, debris removal and lighting masts - have been requested by the cantonal management body. Help from the army has been requested to transport this equipment by air. Specialist engineering firms were also called in.
The road from Goppenstein in the direction of Blatten remains closed. Only local residents and emergency vehicles are allowed to pass. The canton of Valais will do everything in its power to support the affected population as much as possible.
