All articles tagged with #rockfall
Rescuers are attempting a ground rescue of Olympic biathlete Laura Dahlmeier, who was seriously injured by a rockfall on Laila Peak in Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains, with harsh weather conditions complicating efforts.
A rockfall at Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park resulted in two deaths and three injuries among hikers, prompting a rescue effort and area closure, with ongoing search and safety measures.
The summit of Fluchthorn, a mountain in the Swiss Alps, collapsed due to thawing permafrost caused by climate change. No one was injured by the rockfall, but scientists warn that similar events are to be expected as ancient frozen ground degrades. Most mountain peaks above 8,202 feet (2,500 m) in the Alps are covered by permafrost, which runs deep into cracks in the solid rock, helping to glue them together. Without it, mountainsides can become unstable, leading to landslides and rockfalls.
A large rockfall narrowly missed the Swiss mountain village of Brienz, which had been evacuated last month over fears of a landslide. The rock and scree missed the empty hamlet “by a hair”. The area had been declared a danger zone of the highest level possible, forcing the closure of two roads and a train line. The shifting conditions above Brienz were the result of natural erosion, experts said.
A massive rockfall just missed the evacuated village of Brienz in Switzerland, with millions of cubic metres of rock thundering down and blocking roads. The entire village of 70 people was evacuated in mid-May when geologists warned of an imminent rockfall. The mountain above Brienz has no permafrost, but this spring's unusually heavy rain, linked to global warming, was a factor in the evacuation order. Geologists warn that mountain areas can expect more rockslides as the climate changes. There is up to a million cubic metres of loose rock still on the mountain above, and the wait to go home continues for the population of Brienz.
The residents of Brienz, a small village in Switzerland, have been ordered to evacuate their homes due to the risk of a potential rockfall caused by a chunk of the Lenzerhorn mountain that may collapse. The movement of the rock has accelerated significantly, prompting officials to move to "phase orange," meaning a rockfall or landslide is expected within one-to-three weeks. Climate change is putting Switzerland and other countries at greater risk of natural disasters, as higher temperatures increase erosion, officials say. The outcome of the potential rockfall "cannot be predicted until the last moment," according to officials.
Swiss authorities have ordered the evacuation of a small mountain village in the eastern canton of Graubunden due to the risk of a collapsing mountainside burying the village. The village of Brienz is at risk because 2 million cubic metres of rock could soon break off the mountain, damaging or outright crushing its quaint homes. Brienz's population of fewer than 100 people have been given until Friday evening to evacuate. Climate change is putting Switzerland at increased risk of natural hazards, including an increase in erosion due to higher temperatures.