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, glaciologists and geoscientists told AFP on Friday.

The small Swiss Alps village of Blatten was largely destroyed when the Birch glacier collapsed and sent a mass of rock, ice and scree hurtling down into the valley it was located. Although one

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

A glacier in Switzerland's Lötschental valley broke off, causing a massive mudslide and covering 90% of the village of Blatten. Authorities had evacuated the area earlier due to the glacier's movement.