As of: January 26, 2024, 5:23 a.m
By: Johannes Welte
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There was a huge rock fall on the Birnhorn.
There are no reports of any injuries.
© Gerald Lehner/Facebook
An enormous rockslide occurred on the Birnhorn near Zell am See in Salzburger Land.
A helicopter searched for victims.
The cause is baffling.
Leogang - At a height of 2,634 meters, the Birnhorn is the highest mountain in the Leoganger Steinberge in Salzburg's Pinzgau near Zell am See.
Its approximately 1,400-meter-high south face above Leogang, consisting largely of dolomite, is the highest in the Eastern Alps after the neighboring Watzmann east face in Bavaria and is therefore a popular climbing destination for mountaineers.
On Wednesday, life was in danger on the mountain face: in the afternoon, a huge piece of rock came loose from the wall and thundered into the depths.
According to the state government in Salzburg, around 10,000 cubic meters of limestone weighing around 25,000 tons broke out at an altitude of around 1,850 meters above sea level - that is roughly the weight of 400 Leopard 2 tanks.
The rock masses fell around 800 meters deep into the Örgen basin below.
Gerald Gerald Valentin from the State Geological Service examined the rockfall from the air on Thursday afternoon by helicopter.
A video documents the flight.
The explanation for the cause of the enormous rock fall is surprisingly simple
Valentin explains the result of the flight in a press release from the state of Salzburg: “There was no damage to buildings or forest, as it is high alpine terrain.” Hiking trails were also spared, although only just.
“Since the area is relatively inaccessible in winter, we don’t need any further measures,” explains Valentin.
According to him, the snow cover on the Birnhorn ensured that the falling boulders were transported relatively far.
“The material slid on the snow for around a kilometer to an altitude of around 1,050 meters.”
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There were no further rockfalls.
And he adds: “The weather played no role in this case.
A fissure in the compact limestone was the weak point, which simply could no longer withstand the weight of around 25,000 tons.”
Series of severe rock and mountain falls suggests a connection to climate change
In the past few months there have been several, sometimes huge, mountain and rock falls in the Alps.
Rock avalanches have fallen on the western shore of Lake Garda twice this winter.
In most cases, experts blamed climate change.
Heavy rain washed out rocks, thawing forest loosened frozen rocks, or alternating frost and thawing cracked rock.