Glacier nurse Blaten: The protocol of the accident
The incredible happens at around 3:30 p.m.
It is one of the greatest natural disasters in Switzerland: on Wednesday after a rock fall of the birch glacier in the Lötschental and buried the – evacuated – village of Blatten. The danger has not yet been banned. How the great misfortune was.
Friday, May 16, 2025: « Larger rock and glacier cancellation in the Lötschental » reports the « Valais Bote ». In the days before, soil movements were found in the Kleine Nesthorn/Birch Glacier region. Local residents report that a larger chunk has broken off that has almost penetrated into the bottom of the valley. Because of the upcoming snow melting, further glacier and rock breakdowns cannot be excluded. The municipality of Blatten locks the first hiking trails.
Saturday, May 17th: In the evening, the first residents of Blatten, the community below the small nest horn, are evacuated. A total of 92 residents and 16 guests have to leave their houses.
Sunday, May 18th: The regional management staff Lötschental reports that there is still a concrete rush risk. The mountain slope is unstable, movements and rock exits are continuously registered. Since Friday, the eastern flank of the 3341 meter high Nesthorn has moved horizontally by 2.9 meters and dropped 1.6 meters.
View of the eastern flank in the Nesthorn/Birch Glacier area near Blatten in the Lötschental, canton of Valais, on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
Saturday, May 24th: The geological location is heading. There are increased rock movements on the small Nesthorn, and an ice avalanche from the pirch glacier has also loosened and has penetrated to 2100 meters. The glacier front moves faster and faster, now at 4.5 meters per day.
Sunday, May 25th: A week after the first evacuation, the authorities draw intermediate balance: « The mountain continues to erode, » says Mayor Matthias Bellwald. So far, the course has been favorable that the Nesthorn has become smaller (on the eastern flank by 101 meters), but the glacier was more difficult and unpredictable. Overall, a weight of 9 million tons is on the glacier.
Monday, May 26: “Strong movements” are registered on the mountain. There are also several ice breakers on the glacier front that triggered ice rinks in the Birchbach. The glacier front now moves at 10 meters a day.
Tuesday, May 27: There is a larger drop in glacier around 6 p.m. Numerous trees are kinked and torn by the scree mass. The mass did not reach the village.
Wednesday, May 28th: In the morning, the Valais State Council calls out the « special situation ». Part of the birch glacier is “severely in danger of collapse”. Glacier breakdowns, rock falls and ice rink testify to the fact that a lot is on the move. At around 3:30 p.m. the incredible happens: There is a solid glacier abort, which buries large parts of the village of Blatten. The Swiss earthquake service registers a quake with the thickness of 3.1 on the Richter scale. The huge rubble cone also builds up the Lonza River, as a result there is flooding at the upper river. That is why parts of Wiler and Tilipel are evacuated.
Large part of the glacier broken off into sheets
Thursday, May 29: There are still considerable instabilities on the small Nesthorn – several hundred thousand cubic meters of rock are affected, as the canton of Valais reports. There is a risk of murgeo lengths on both sides of the Lötschental. The crash material from rocks, ice and water in the valley floor is also unstable. This currently makes any intervention impossible in the disaster area.
