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A huge chunk of a glacier in the Swiss Alps broke off causing a deluge of ice, mud and rock that buried most of a mountain village that had been evacuated due to the risk of a rockslide, Reuters reported citing local authorities.
One person is currently missing, officials said, according to Reuters.
Drone footage broadcast by Swiss national broadcaster SRF showed a vast plain of mud and soil completely covering part of the southwestern village of Blatten, the river running through it and the wooded sides of the surrounding valley.
"We've lost our village," Matthias Bellwald, the mayor of Blatten told a press conference after the slide, according to Reuters. "The village is under rubble. We will rebuild."
Stephane Ganzer, an official in the canton of Valais where Blatten is located, told Swiss media that about 90% of the village was covered by the landslide.
"An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley," said Matthias Ebener, a spokesperson for local authorities.
One person was missing, Ebener said. Officials gave no further details on the person during the press conference.
Officials said millions of cubic metres of rock and soil have tumbled down since Blatten was first evacuated this month when part of the mountain behind the glacier began to crumble, sparking warnings it could bring the ice mass down with it.
A video shared widely on social media showed the dramatic moment when the glacier partially collapsed, creating a huge cloud that covered part of the mountain as rock and debris came cascading down towards the village.