A massive chunk of rock and ice from a glacier came crashing down a Swiss mountain on Wednesday, sending clouds of dust into the sky and covering most of a nearby Alpine village in thick mud. The village had already been evacuated earlier this month by authorities who feared something like this might happen.

Videos shared on social media and shown on Swiss TV revealed the extent of the destruction near the village of Blatten, located in the southern Lötschental valley. Homes and buildings were seen partly buried in a heavy layer of mud and debris. Regional police reported that a 64-year-old man is missing, and search teams are using thermal drones to look for him.

Stephane Ganzer, head of security for the Valais region, told local channel Canal9, “About 90% of the village is either buried or destroyed. It’s a major disaster for Blatten.”

According to officials, the disaster happened after a large portion of the Birch Glacier broke off. The glacier collapse triggered a powerful landslide that also covered the bed of the nearby Lonza River, increasing the risk of blocked water flow and possible flooding. Ganzer warned that the situation could still get worse and confirmed that the Swiss army has been called in for support. Earlier signs had already shown the glacier was moving faster than normal.

Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti called it “an extraordinary event” during a press conference and said the government is taking action to support those who lost their homes. Around 300 people and all the livestock had been evacuated from the village just days before the collapse due to growing fears that the 1.5 million cubic meter glacier might give way.

Helicopters and emergency teams are now working in the area to survey the damage. Jonas Jeitziner, a spokesman for the Lötschental crisis center, told the Associated Press that they’re still assessing the full impact.

Melting Glaciers and Climate Change

Swiss scientists have been warning for years about the increasing threat from melting glaciers, much of it caused by global warming. Switzerland, home to the largest number of glaciers in Europe, lost 4% of its glacier volume in 2023 alone — the second biggest drop after a 6% loss in 2022.

Last year, the village of Brienz in eastern Switzerland also had to be evacuated due to a massive rockslide, which narrowly missed the community. Residents were forced to leave again months later as further slides threatened the area.

The growing number of such incidents has raised serious concerns about climate-related disasters in Switzerland’s mountainous regions.