October 2025

First donations paid out to residents of Blatten (LINK) 17 October 2025

— So far, 25 applications for support totalling CHF1.4 million ($1.8 million) have been approved. 46 applications for financial support in addition to insurance benefits have been received so far. CHF68 million in donations have been collected for Blatten. Of this, CHF23 million came from Swiss Solidarity, CHF3.9 million from the aid organisations Caritas Switzerland and the Swiss Red Cross, CHF5 million from the federal government and CHF10 million from canton Valais. Donations totalling around CHF26 million were made directly to the municipality of Blatten, most of which were earmarked for reconstruction. Shortly after the landslide, various aid agencies, organizations, private individuals, municipalities and cantons provided emergency aid totalling CHF2.8 million for the people affected. This has already been paid out by the municipality. Over the next 12 months, canton Valais will also provide part of its aid in the form of lump-sum contributions to the affected population.

Blatten access road closed by snow (LINK in French) 25 October 2025

SRF: Back in the disaster area (YouTube in Swiss-German with German subtitles) (LINK) 3 October 2025

— The Lauchernalp container hotels is provisionally entitled Plan B, and is due to be dismantled and rebuilt in New Blatten.

First TV cameras returns to Blatten on the ground with Valais geologists (YouTube in French) (LINK) 2 October 2025

September 2025

Landslide village: foundation stone laid for new Blatten: the symbolic act for Blatten 2020 took place on the scree covering the old buildings (LINK) 19 September 2025

— Various houses will be built. "The aim is for the first residents to be able to return to their homes by the end of 2028, and the majority of the others by 2029," explains Matthias Bellwald, mayor. “The current lake that has formed will eventually disappear" and the site will become increasingly secure.

RTS: Swiss mountains 'fragilizing' (overview YouTube video in French: 12:30 min): transcript possible (LINK) 7 September 2025

August 2025

Destroyed Swiss village of Blatten to be rebuilt within four years: hamlets of Eisten and Weissenried should return to normality as early as 2026 and Fafleralp in 2027 (LINK) 14 August 2025

July 2025

Guardian long read: The landslide in Switzerland's Maggia valley in June 2024 (LINK) 5 August 2025

Lötschental: funicular and restaurants below Blatten gain daily visitors after disaster: minibuses run almsot full on sunny days to Kummenalp and Faldumalp west of Lauchernalp, saving a 5-hour walk (LINK in French) 22 July 2025

Zurich ETH study shows previously unexplained factors that determine the destructive force of debris flows (LINK) — ground.news: 2 media reports (LINK) 16 July 2025

— On 5 June 2022, a debris flow came loose in Illgraben above the village of Leuk in the Valais, transporting 25,000 cubic metres of debris four kilometres through the bed of the Illbach river, before flowing into the Rhône at Susten. The team of scientists monitored the natural phenomena at several measuring stations. "We've known for a long time that these surges play a key role in the destructive force of debris flows. We were able to demonstrate that surges arise spontaneously on the surface of the flow. They stem from small irregularities, which grow over time, increasing in size and speed until they reach their maximum destructive force."

June 2025

Swiss canton of Valais sets up committee to coordinate the CHF 57.4 million donations for landslide destroyed village of Blatten (LINK) 27 June 2025

Body of Blatten landslide victim found and identified: 64-year-old outside assessed danger zone above village (LINK) 27 June 2025

Blatten damages estimated at CHF320 million, payments already started (LINK in French) 17 June 2025

— CHF260 millions for buildings and goods, CHF60 million in lost earnings and vehicles. Insurance companies have started payouts. A 2023 hailstorm caused comparable damage in Locarno in 2023 in a few minutes.

60 Swiss Alpine glaciers out of 300 present a danger for inhabited zones and infrastructure, most in Valais, especially Weisshorn in the valley leading to Zermatt, Gruben, Dolent and the Allalin (LINK in French) 16 June 2025

Landslide-hit Swiss villager vote to build new within five years (LINK) 13 June 2025

Around 30 residents evacuated from Les Epenays, a village near Lourtier in Val de Bagnes, Valais, due to heavy rainfall causing debris flows (LINK) 9 June 2025https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/valais/2025/article/valais-10-millions-pour-blatten-et-plan-contre-le-dereglement-climatique-28909993.html

— A mudslide on 8 June tore away the temporary emergency bridge in the upper Val de Bagnes. There is now only a pedestrian and cycle path link to the village of Lourtier. A small lake has also formed, but this does not currently pose any danger.

— 30 people evacuated from Haut Val de Bagnes after torrential rains block road to Lourtier (400 inhabitants), where supplies have been delivered by helicopter — (LINK)

Valley reopens to tourists above Goppenstein to Wiler (LINK in French)

— "Despite the dreary weather, a small number of tourists made the journey on the first day. In the cable car from Wiler to Lauchernalp, they were able to see the measure of what had happened further up the valley." Drones are flying over the area and anyone getting to close to the disaster zone risks a fine. In Lauchernalp, however, a hotelier at the 1900m-altitude resort urged tourists to come, keep up the region's reputation as an enjoyable place to visit and keep the six employees in their jobs.

13 inhabitants of Blatten, Eisten and Weissenried allowed to visit homes for 1 hour to collect urgently needed material: road due to be opened for working machines from Wiler to Weissenried to ensure supply of water and power (LINK) 6 June 2025

On the Pulse with Silki (LINK YouTube 11:26 min) 6 June 2025

Controversy over insurance against natural catastrophes: not obligatory in Blatten's Valais (LINK) 6 June 2025

— 19 of the 26 Swiss cantons and half cantons require insurance against natural catastrophes. Not Valais, after a Socialist Party (PS) proposal failed in a 2016 referendum. Now the PS is considering a new effort, citing Rhone River flooding in recent years costing millions in official expenditure as well as Blatten. It's opposed by the Liberal Party (PLR), which says most people's buildings are insured against natural dangers, and it is obligatory when you take out a mortgage. It is not known how many houses in Blatten are insured against natural dangers, says

— Petit Nesthorn peak still losing rocks, but rubble halted where high glacier had been. Lake created in Blatten by ice and water slightly lower. Downriver dam at Ferden emptied for melt is filling slowly. But security zone declared in Gampel-Steg, home to 3,000 people downstream. Sole death in disaster said to be 64-year-old sheep breeder who died in his stable at Tännmattä 30m outside the official evacuation zone. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter visited Lötschental and met victims on 30 May. Defence Minister Martin Pfister met for second time with villagers at Wiler on Saturday with no media allowed. Swiss charity has received CHF11 million to aid victims. Other cantons also offer financial support: Geneva CHF1m. Authorities have contacted all owners of holiday residences in the valley to ask them whether they will rent out their places to the 360 people displaced for up to 3 years. Blatten accounted for 80% of the hotel nights spent in Lötschental.

— From the Walliser Bote: Canton Wallis sets aside CHF30,000 for each Blatten resident displaced by glacier and rock slide. Canton has CHF186.0m in reserves and can add CHF96.5m more. CHF42m already set aside. Romand Lottery also has CHF5m for non-insured losses. Christophe Darbellay, Economics Minister in the Valais Cantonal Government, said three hotel businesses in Loetschental were destroyed by the disaster and the valley might need another hotel. Where is not clear but "the important thing is, that access to Fafleralp is available, provided it can be made safe." In fact, plans have been discussed for a long time for a new resort at Lauchneralp (above Wiler, the closest village to Blatten). Investors are ready and work could start on the project relatively soon, according to Darbellay. Other affected businesses would receive support, along with employment compensation for staff. As for agriculture, eight businesses have destroyed. They would not be required to pay back loans from banks and the state. The Canton is willing to pay these businesses their subsidies for 2025 and 2026 even though the fields no longer exist, and credits for planned building of stables will not have to be repaid.

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