The Birch Glacier above the village of Blatten collapsed and caused a landslide that has buried most of the village. Authorities had evacuated residents earlier this month, but one person is missing.

Swiss authorities say rock and ice piles from a collapsed glacier that destroyed a village are preventing emergency services from working, but that they are cautiously optimistic no more homes are at risk.

Rescuers in the Swiss Alps were searching for at least one person missing after 1.5 million cubic meters of ice, rock and mud from an imploding glacier engulfed a village in the Lotschental Valley north of Zermatt.