The landslide rammed into the small village of Schwanden in Switzerland's far east at around 5:30 pm (1530 GMT), the Keystone-ATS news agency reported, citing regional police in Glarus canton.
Large amounts of mud, rocks and other debris pummelled down the mountainside, wreaking havoc across 400 metres (1,300 feet), destroying or burying a half-dozen houses, it said.
More earth and debris was unleashed in a second wave a few hours later.
Videos published by several Swiss media showed the thundering brown mass ripping up trees and crushing structures, as onlookers shouted out in shock.
Police said there were no signs that anyone was injured, media reported, adding that municipal authorities had evacuated the area.
The full extent of the damage had yet to be assessed.
"We are being evacuated. We have to leave. We have to find another place to sleep," local Diana Ristic, 26, told the Blick daily.
Another landslide happened in the same region just a week ago, prompting the evacuation of five homes and two businesses out of safety concerns, Keystone-ATS reported.
Since then, the evacuees had not yet been permitted to return, Glarus police spokesman Richard Schmidt told the news agency.
Following Tuesday's landslide, the evacuation area would be extended to likely include another 100 people, it reported.
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