Bernese Oberland –
Kandersteg faces a risk of landslides
The heavy rains of the past few days have accelerated the landslides of the Stei Spitze, an already weakened summit.
Lake Oeschinen is famous for its hikes.
KEYSTONE
La Commune the child’s prayer, In the Bernese Oberlandfaces a worrying situation, indicates «20 minutes». On their websitethe authorities explain a landslide around Lake Oeschinen.
The rains of the last days have worsened the landslides on the slopes of the Stei Spitze, this 2974 meter summit which overlooks the lake. Since Sunday evening, several front breaks have caused mud and debris flows.
In the immediate future, the danger is that rocks stand out from a stroke of the summit, triggering torrential lavas. The threatened area includes a perimeter of permanent ban, but also the river bed in the Oeschi forest. The level of danger oscillates between considerable and moderate.
A concern that dates
For safety, the forest is now closed, road access to Lake Oeschinen is cut, and several hiking trails are prohibited. The inhabited areas are not threatened for the moment and the lake remains accessible via the ski lifts.
This phenomenon is not new. Since 2019, the stability of the Stei Spitze has deteriorated: large landslides have already taken place – 20,000 m³ in January 2019, then 10,000 m³ in 2020. The worst scenario envisaged by the authorities evokes up to 18 million m³ of rock likely to collapse, with potentially serious consequences until the village of Kandersteg.
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