The Blatten glacier collapse – A village buried under ice and debris (News 2026, by Michael Buholzer) - Swiss Press Award
Michael Buholzer
Devastated houses by the force of the massive avalanche, triggered by the collapse of the Birch Glacier, swept down to the valley floor and demolishing the village of Blatten, Switzerland, on Friday, June 6, 2025. A large part of the village of Blatten, located in the Loetschental Valley in the canton of Valais, was buried under masses of ice, mud, and rock. Numerous houses were destroyed, and one person is missing. Between May 19 and 28, several million cubic meters of rock fell from the Kleines Nesthorn mountain above Blatten. This created a nine-million-tonne debris cone on the Birch Glacier, which ultimately collapsed on May 28, 2025. (KEYSTONE/Michael Buholzer)
NZZ, Tages-Anzeiger, Blick, National Geographic, The New Yorker
Photo / News
2026
Michael Buholzer
On May 28, 2025, Blatten was buried under ice and debris by a glacial collapse. Photographer Michael Buholzer extensively documented the aftermath of this once-in-a-century event. During his assignments, he was granted exclusive access to accompany Mayor Matthias Bellwald into the restricted area and, through his photographs, revealed the impact of the catastrophe to the world in a way never before seen.
