A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps buried most of the village of Blatten under ice, mud, and rock, in what scientists say is a stark example of climate change’s impact. The village’s 300 residents had been evacuated earlier in May after cracks appeared in the mountain behind the Birch Glacier.

One man remains missing, but rescue efforts were halted due to unstable debris. The landslide blocked the River Lonza, forming a rising lake and increasing flood risk. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter plans to visit the disaster site, where the army and emergency teams are on alert.

Experts warn that melting permafrost, likely driven by climate change, is destabilizing Alpine mountains, creating new threats in areas untouched for centuries.