Permafrost is often called the glue that holds the mountains together. When it thaws, the mountains crumble, and they start to break apart. At the same time, the glaciers are shrinking and, as they do, they uncover mountainsides that are unstable without their thick coat of ice.

The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts say.

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.