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Swiss warn of glacier shedding massive chunk

A massive part of a glacier the size of 12 football fields in the Swiss Alps could break off, local authorities warned, after the discovery of an enormous crevasse in the glacier.

The Jungfrau's north face
Ryan Gsell

Swiss authorities have formed a crisis team to monitor the situation and blocked all hiking trails close to the Giesen glacier located at an altitude of 2,800 metres, below the north face of the Jungfrau peak in the Bernese Alps.

Christian Abbühl, who is heading the crisis team at the Lauterbrunnen commune, confirmed that the area of ice that risks breaking off is equivalent to about 12 football fields.

“But we do not know how thick the ice is, so we do not know the volume of water that could be generated if it melts,” he said.

The large crack was discovered about a month ago, and prompted the Lauterbrunnen commune to issue a warning.

“A crevasse has been discovered at the Giesen glacier, which is found on the northeast side under the Jungfrau, leading to small pieces of ice falling off,” said the commune.

“We cannot rule out that a large amount of ice could break off in the direction of Trimmleten-Sandbach,” it added.

Abbühl said the situation remains unchanged from the September warning, but noted that it could improve as the temperature falls.

While it has been unseasonably warm in early October, the weather is expected to turn by Friday, with snowfall expected in the Alps.

“At the moment, the danger is not so great as it is going to get colder. For the population there is also no immediate danger,” noted Abbuehl.

“But we are observing the situation on a daily basis and we have closed off the hiking paths around the site,” he added.

It is not uncommon for parts of glaciers to break off. At the same time, a cold front could also cause glaciers to form from melting snow.

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SKIING

Two skiers killed in Swiss avalanche

Two cross-country skiers have been killed in an avalanche near the plush resort of Klosters in southeast Switzerland, police said Saturday.

Two skiers killed in Swiss avalanche

The accident happened on Friday, the Graubunden regional police said.

“In the Schintersiten area they took a slope with a steep gradient,” a police statement said.

“Several avalanches broke out and dragged the two men about 200 metres down the rocky terrain.

“As a result, both the 54-year-old and his 57-year-old companion, both of whom lived in the canton of Bern, were fatally injured.”

The Graubunden public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation alongside the cantonal police.

Before Friday’s accident, 12 people had lost their lives in avalanches in Switzerland since October 1 last year, according to statistics from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research.

A total of 142 avalanche-related accidents have occurred, with 188 people swept away.

Earlier this month, six cross-country skiers went missing in a storm near the southern luxury resort of Zermatt. The group, aged 21 to 58, included five members of the same family.

Five bodies were recovered and the search for the sixth person was ultimately called off.

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