3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 18
Summary
An unstable 15-20 million-cubic-meter section of Spitze Stei above Kandersteg could trigger a major landslide, putting the Swiss village’s 1,300 residents at risk.
Scientists say thawing permafrost and glacier melt driven by higher temperatures are weakening the mountain’s natural “cement,” making Alpine slopes increasingly unstable.
Authorities are continuously monitoring the rock and have evacuation plans ready, while experts say the formation is more likely to break apart gradually than collapse in one massive block.
The threat recalls Blatten, where a huge rock-and-ice collapse in May 2025 buried nearly the entire evacuated village under mud in the nearby Loetschental valley.
Researchers and climate advocates warn such landslides and avalanches will become more common in the Swiss Alps, potentially making some valleys too costly or unsafe to inhabit.