Swiss village is under threat of landslide more powerful than disaster in Blatten amid melting glaciers - report

Kandersteg, a picturesque Swiss Alpine village located beneath the unstable Spitze Stein rock formation, whose collapse could trigger a major landslide. Scientists say that rising temperatures are causing glaciers and permafrost in the mountains to melt, making slopes in the Alps increasingly unstable, UNN writes, citing Euronews.

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Kandersteg is a village of around 1,300 people in the Swiss Alps, surrounded by steep valleys, glaciers and high peaks. Towering above it is Spitze Stein, an unstable rock formation large enough to trigger a landslide potentially twice the size of the one that buried part of Blatten in May 2025, the publication writes.

Residents live with the risk rather than in fear of it. Information leaflets show evacuation routes and map the areas that could be affected, while the mountain is under constant surveillance — authorities say there would be at least 24 hours' warning of a major collapse.

"You know that it is happening, but you are not afraid," says local resident Brigitte Jüni, adding: "It is nature, and you never know what might happen."

Rudolf Isler, who was born in the village, has spent years observing rocks falling from the slope. "We are not afraid of the Spitze Stein rocks," he says. "The problem here is global warming and rising temperatures," he added.

This, the publication writes, is the main reason. As glaciers retreat and permafrost melts, water seeps into cracks in the rocks, while the frozen ground that once held the slopes together loses its grip, the publication notes.

Switzerland, which has more Alpine glaciers than any other European country, lost 4% of its glacier volume in 2023, following a 6% loss the previous year.

The danger lies not only in falling rocks. A collapse could affect Lake Oeschinen below, sending a wave toward the village.

Greenpeace climate expert Nathan Zoloturmann warns that the problem will expand. "Perhaps one day we may even have to leave some valleys, some villages, because it will become impossible to live there," he said.

Swiss glaciers have begun to melt rapidly due to extreme heat - Euronews29.06.26, 12:56 • 3898 views