A massive glacier-induced landslide buried the village of Blatten in southern Switzerland on Wednesday, blocking the River Lonza and creating a rising flood threat in the Alpine valley. Authorities warn that further evacuations in nearby villages may be necessary as the situation remains unstable.

BulletsIn

• Glacier collapse caused landslide burying Blatten village on Wednesday
• Millions of cubic meters of ice, mud, rock crashed into valley
• River Lonza blocked; rising water has formed a new lake amid debris
• Flooding risk growing as debris dam could burst or shift
• Blatten’s 300 residents had been evacuated earlier in May
• Gampel, Steg villages told to prepare for possible evacuation
• Swiss army on standby with pumps and heavy machinery
• 64-year-old man remains missing; search paused due to instability
• Scientists link event to climate change’s impact on Alpine glaciers
• Authorities warn of potential further rockfalls in the area