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.

The search for a 64-year-old man was suspended on Thursday after a huge mass of rock and ice from a glacier crashed down a Swiss mountainside the day before.

There are strong theories on the causes, and to what degree it is linked to climate change — but these are yet to be confirmed by scientific analysis.