Situation in Swiss landslide valley remains unstable

Authorities in canton Valais said on Thursday that it was still too dangerous to undertake any clear-up measures in the area around the village of Blatten. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox A risk of mudslides remains on both sides of the Lötschental valley, cantonal authorities said on Thursday around midday. The situation on the Kleiner Nesthorn, the mountain where the landslide began on Wednesday, is also still unstable. Several hundred thousand cubic metres of rock are affected. Debris flows could also occur due to the masses of rock, ice and water now lying in the valley. The material is unstable. On Wednesday virtually the entire Birch Glacier above the village of Blatten collapsed, leading to a debris deposit on the valley floor which is several dozen metres thick and two kilometres long. Most of the village was buried and debris is now blocking the Lonza river, which has caused a lake to form, which has in turn flooded houses that were spared ...