On May 28, a mass of rock, ice, mud and water crashed down on and buried the mountain village of Blatten in the Swiss canton of Valais. Only a few houses remained standing, and these are now flooded by a pool of water that has formed behind the debris.

Climbers alerted local authorities after finding abandoned skis near the summit of Rimpfischhorn on Saturday. A helicopter was sent to survey the area, which is near the Zermatt resort, The Guardian reported, and five bodies were quickly found on the Adler Glacier.

A tragic event occurred in the Swiss Alps. A rock-ice avalanche destroyed the village of Blatten, which had been evacuated earlier due to danger. One person is missing. "It's a complete disaster," assessed Franz Ruppen from the cantonal authorities.