Swiss municipality raises alert level following glacier break-offs

The Valais municipality of Randa raises its alert level following glacier break-offs Keystone-SDA

The situation on the Weisshorn near Randa, canton Valais in southwestern Switzerland, remains tense: following several glacier collapses on Monday, the local authority has raised the alert level to 3. Further collapses in the coming days cannot be ruled out.

On Monday afternoon, at least three rockfalls occurred on the Weisshorn East hanging glacier, the municipality of Randa in the Mattertal valley told the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA on Tuesday.

The largest of these is said to have come down between 5pm and 6pm. Due to a significant increase in movement, the authorities had already raised the alert level to 3 on Monday. The municipality stated that, due to the current poor weather conditions, it was not currently possible to make a reliable assessment of the volume of the avalanches.

Due to increased activity, movements on the Weisshorn East hanging glacier have been monitored since the end of June 2026. At the same time, the relevant danger perimeter was defined and marked out. Whether the increased risk will persist or whether the situation will ease will now be closely monitored, it was reported on Tuesday.

A ban on entry remains in force within the defined perimeter until further notice. In addition, the official access routes for pedestrians and cyclists remain closed.

The relevant authorities have not ruled out further rockfalls in the coming days. These could extend as far as the marked hazard area.

Not first threat

In the past, there have been repeated glacier break-offs on the Weisshorn. The largest historically documented event dates back to 1819. The avalanche triggered at that time caused extensive damage in the village of Randa. Further glacial breaks in 1972 and 1973 were less severe and came to a halt on a glacier field.

The municipality of Randa has also historically been affected by other natural hazards. In 1991, a major triple rockslide occurred on the Längenfluhberg. Within a few weeks, almost 50 million cubic metres of rock tumbled into the valley.

The rock masses buried the railway line and the road. They also dammed up the River Vispa. No people were harmed in the rockfalls, but livestock perished and 33 buildings were destroyed.

+ How we produce news in English
Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.