Predicting deadly rockfall would have been impossible, say geologists
BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA, CANADA, JUN 20 – Experts say water seepage and glacier retreat caused the rockfall, which killed two hikers and injured three, with no way to predict or prevent the event, Parks Canada confirmed.
- A rockslide at Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park on Thursday, June 20, 2025, resulted in the deaths of two hikers and caused injuries to three others.
- Scientists explained that water seeping for decades from Iceberg Lake through rocks eventually dislodged a boulder, triggering the unpredictable rockfall.
- Witnesses reported rumblings and stones before a mountain slab broke loose, and experts noted the event was bad luck with hikers in the wrong place at the wrong time.
- Experts including Clague and Elmo said rockfalls cannot be predicted or stopped, advising officials to warn hikers to minimize time near slopes and take photos from a distance.
- The incident underscores the hazards of rockfalls in retreating glacier areas amid climate change and emphasizes the limits of prevention beyond public warnings.
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Water from a lake above the Bow Glacier Falls cliff had been infiltrating through the rocks for years.
·Montreal, Canada
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Total News Sources55
Leaning Left19Leaning Right4Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution66% Left
Bias Distribution
- 66% of the sources lean Left
66% Left
L 66%
C 21%
14%
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