A slowly expanding fracture on a mountainside in canton Valais is raising concerns of a potential collapse and resulting floods that could impact the village of Chippis in the Rhone Valley.
The scarp has been widening at a rate of 2-4 millimetres daily since last October – relatively fast for a geological process. The main fissure is now 250 metres long and almost one metre wide.
In a worst‑case scenario, up to 500,000 cubic metres of material could collapse, potentially damming the Navizence River and triggering flooding in Chippis, home to around 1,500 people.
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