Switzerland's president said evacuees from a village whose homes and businesses were destroyed by a dramatic landslide caused by a falling glacier were "not alone" and the wealthy Alpine country was calculating ways to help.

In Blatten, Switzerland, after a glacier avalanche, the situation is becoming increasingly difficult. Water blocked by the landslide threatens to flood additional towns. Key information The glacier avalanche destroyed part of the village of Blatten in Switzerland.

Villagers lost their entire livelihood within minutes. One former resident lost their wooden family house built in 1654. Meanwhile the Swiss Army is on standby for further assistance.

A cascade of events in the Swiss Alps led to the dramatic collapse of the Birch glacier, wiping out Blatten village in the valley below ... the director of Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (GLAMOS), told AFP. "The glacier accelerated strongly in response ...

A massive glacier collapse overwhelmed the Swiss village of Blatten, destroying most structures and leaving a 64-year-old man missing.

I also occasionally write press reviews and original articles on "Swiss oddities" - the things that make Switzerland unique. After studying history and religious studies, I began my journalistic career at Radio Fribourg.

Switzerland is a success story in predicting landslides — but more must be done to help the rest of the world prepare for these deadly, unpredictable disasters.