A mass of rock and ice engulfed part of a mountain village in Switzerland on Wednesday, authorities said.

A local spokesman said one person was currently missing after the landslide near Blatten, in the southern Lötschental valley in the canton of Valais.

Geologists said landslide was imminent

The massive landslide was caused after a glacier partially collapsed in the Swiss Alps.

"An unbelievable amount of material thundered down into the valley," said spokesperson, Matthias Ebener.

Authorities had warned days ago that up to five million cubic meters of rock and debris could break off at any moment.

The village's roughly 300 inhabitants were evacuated on May 19 after assessments from geologists established that a rockslide was imminent.

Buildings and other infrastructure in Blatten were hit hard by the rockslide, Ebener said.

Video shared widely on social media showed the moment the glacier partially collapsed, creating an enormous cloud that obscured part of the mountain as rock and debris came thundering down into the outskirts of the village. 

Drone footage showed the rubble of shattered wooden buildings on the flanks of the huge mass of earth in the drone footage.

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed her support for those impacted by the landslide.

"It's terrible to lose your home. I feel for the residents of Blatten at this time," Keller-Sutter said on X. 

Edited by: Zac Crellin