Overview

• Authorities evacuated all 300 residents of Blatten, Switzerland, due to the imminent risk of a catastrophic rockslide from the Kleine Nesthorn mountain.
• Geologists warn that up to five million cubic meters of rock could collapse, with smaller detachments still possible but less destructive.
• The mountain's instability has been linked to thawing permafrost and snowmelt, possibly exacerbated by climate change in the Alpine region.
• Recent monitoring detected new cracks and a 200,000 cubic meter rockfall, considered a precursor to a larger potential collapse.
• Blatten remains under continuous surveillance, with no timeline for residents to safely return to their homes.