It looks as if the danger at the dammed mountain river Lonza has been averted for the time being.

The Lötschental valley in the Swiss canton of Valais has, for the time being, escaped further tragedy following Wednesday's massive glacier collapse. The Lonza mountain river, dammed behind a gigantic debris cone, has found new ways into the valley, the fallen ice, rock, and debris have remained largely stable, and the flood wave or debris avalanche that had been feared at times have not yet occurred.

The municipalities of Gampel and Steg informed the population overnight that construction machinery would be deployed to ensure drainage. "The aim is to ensure the smooth flow of debris and driftwood through the Lonza streambed within the villages," they said.

The reservoir on the Lonza River in Ferden below the disaster area, which was drained as a precaution, is now filling with water again. The operator of the local power plant has been instructed to release more water as needed to collect larger volumes. Because the water contains a lot of sediment, i.e., sand and debris from the debris cone, it cannot be channeled through the turbines to generate electricity as intended, the command staff announced.

The danger of a debris flow has not yet been averted. If the waters of the Lonza River carry debris and other material along the debris cone and drive it downstream, the reservoir in Ferden is designed to absorb it. Otherwise, the villages along the lower reaches of the Lonza River – Gampel and Steg – would be at risk. Shortly before it enters the Rhone, the Lonza River flows through relatively narrow concrete channels, which could quickly overflow their banks if the water swells. Measuring devices are in use everywhere to monitor the situation around the clock.

Above the Lötschental Valley, unstable rock broke off at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters and thundered down onto the Birsch Glacier below. The glacier broke off on Wednesday afternoon, sending gigantic amounts of ice, rock, and debris tumbling down into the valley. The village of Blatten lies almost entirely beneath the meter-high debris cone. The approximately 300 residents had previously been evacuated to safety. Further collapses are imminent in the danger zone.