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2,000 cubic metres of solid rock that fell caused an avalanche on the mountain of Mel de la Niva

This is the incredible moment a huge piece of rock broke free from the side of a mountain and plummeted 1,000 feet in Switzerland.

The incredible footage was captured by a geologist who just happened to be filming when the rock fall occurred on a mountain in the Swiss Alps.

According to local reports the 2,000 cubic metres of solid rock that fell caused an avalanche on the mountain of Mel de la Niva, near Evolene.

Geologists studying the mountain had noted geological activity prior to the incident and the site had been under surveillance since 2013, reported Le Nouvelliste.

Major movements were detected last week and the hamlet of Arbey and a road below the mountain had been evacuated and shut the day before.


The noise from the rockfall was said to have echoed around the valley, as the debris rained down on the mountain, tearing a path through the trees and destroying the forested slopes.

There were no reported injuries resulting from the incident however.

Since being posted to YouTube the clip has been viewed 100,000 times and a number of users have shared their thoughts.

One person wrote: 'Unbelievable someone was actually there for that, and was recording. Thousands of years of waiting, 30 seconds of action, and we got it on film.'