Swiss landslide – already 1.5 million cubic meters away

In southern Switzerland, a massive clash is underway. From the small Nesthorn, 1.5 million cubic meters of rubble have recently fallen into the depth, an expert from the canton of Valais said at a press conference, as the Keystone-SDA agency reported.

Because of the danger situation, the village of Blatten in the Lötschental holiday region was completely cleared on Monday. Around 300 inhabitants had to leave their houses. Animals were also brought to safety. Among other things, a cow was flown out with a helicopter, as a photographer of the Keystone-SDA documented.

The rocks of the unstable rock material that is currently in motion on the small Nesthorn were the crashed rocks, said the cantonal expert Alban Brigger. The authorities hope that the mountain will continue to crumble into smaller quantities instead of in a huge block.

However, according to Brigger, an unknown factor is a glacier, which, according to the broadcaster SRF, has so far landed the majority of the rubble. The glacier could slide down itself and build up the Lonza river in the valley, said Brigger, an engineer responsible for natural hazards.