Swiss Village Threatened By Landslide Prepares For Evacuation

GENEVA, Nov 10 (Bernama-dpa) -- The Swiss village of Brienz is once again threatened by a huge landslide and is therefore preparing for an evacuation, the German news agency (dpa) reported.

Up to 1.2 million cubic metres of rock debris could move down the valley and reach the settlement, explained the administration of the village in the eastern canton of Graubünden.

The approximately 90 residents of Brienz have been informed that they may have to leave their homes in the coming days and, in the worst-case scenario, may not be able to return for several months. A decision and a date for such a move have not yet been set.

The debris is currently moving at a rate of around 25 centimetres per day. Rainfall or rockfalls in the area of the debris pile could increase the speed to 80 kilometres per hour or more, geologist Stefan Schneider told residents at an information event.

Such a debris flow is not likely at present, but if it were to occur suddenly, timely warnings would hardly be possible. 

The village had already been evacuated as a precaution in May 2023 in anticipation of a landslide.

In June 2023, a huge torrent of debris thundered down the mountain, missing the old school building by just a few metres. Scree and rubble buried meadows and a road, in some cases several metres deep. 

Brienz is located near Davos at an altitude of around 1,150 metres.

-- BERNAMA-dpa