Switzerland. The flood threatens the residents
The glacier, which on Wednesday, May 28 in the Swiss Alps destroyed the village of Blatten, now threatens the next towns. The rubble formed a natural dam on the Lonza River and blocked water flow, creating A small lake that increases with every hour. If the water finds the outlet, it will threaten neighboring villages in the Alpine valley.
The threat of another disaster. A state of emergency was announced
Local services evacuated 16 inhabitants in two villages on Wednesday. On Thursday, May 29, the Valais canton authorities turned to army with a request to provide equipment and pumps to drain. In the endangered area, they were announced state of emergency. – there is a risk that the ice dam will lead to flooding the valley below – said Antoine Jacquod representative.
The glacier sank and destroyed the Swiss village
On Wednesday Three million cubic meters of rocks and ice destroyed 90 percent. Blatten villageswhich was inhabited by around 300 people. A week before the disaster, almost all residents were evacuated. The 64-year-old searching for missing was still underway.
The reason for climate change?
Christian Huggel, a professor of the environment and climate at the University of Zurich, said that to disaster Various factors contributed to Blatten, but Higher temperatures in the Alps have a great impact on the eternal frost. Its loss may negatively affect the stability of mountain rocks. In the professor's opinion, it cannot be ruled out that Climate change has somewhat contributed to the tragedy. According to scientists, all Alpine glaciers may disappear within a hundred years, if there is a global temperature rise greater than 1.5 degrees C above the state before the industrial era. Statistics show that only in 2022-2023 there The glaciers lost 10 percent its volume. More about the situation in the Swiss Alps they wrotein the following text:
Read also: “An unusual phenomenon over Trzcianka. What is condensing funnel?“.
Sources: france24.com, Reuters agency, BBC