[meyer]

On the contrary, the mountain appears to have collapsed from within--as one might expect from overly compromised nuked caverns deep within.

Lasers from above? Probably far-fetched as that requires tremendous energy.

[JockoManning]

imho, that, too would leave some cratering on the surface.

Am the furthest thing from a physicist ... however, IIRC, something like Tesla might have wielded might have been in operation. Purportedly such 'waves' or forces or beams can be focused on any point from one side of the globe to the other.

Such tech has been rumored to have triggered big quakes for years.

[goodtomato]

I’ve removed a lot of concrete. Fracturing is the process. Cuts contain fractures. Caverns are voids. Ever dig a hole and refill it? Did you have extra material?