GENEVA (AP) — On Saturday, authorities in eastern Switzerland advised residents of the small village of Brienz to get ready for possible evacuation due to an impending rockslide threatening their homes from above in the Alps. This warning marks the second time in less than a year that Brienz has faced evacuation orders related to geological dangers.
Local officials issued a statement indicating that “the uppermost section of the rubble pile high above Brienz has been moving at an increasing pace. There is a possibility that as much as 1.2 million cubic meters of rock debris could descend down the valley in a sudden avalanche.”
Since mid-September, measurements from the municipality’s early warning services have indicated that the top of the rocky mass has been shifting more than 30 centimeters (approximately 11.8 inches) each day at times. Reports from the SRF public broadcaster highlighted this concerning trend.
Authorities emphasized that if the rockslide accelerates further, it could rapidly approach the village, putting the lives and properties of its residents at risk.
Brienz is a centuries-old village located in the eastern Graubuenden region, straddling both German- and Romansch-speaking areas. Situated about 3,800 feet (1,150 meters) above sea level and southwest of Davos, it is home to fewer than 100 residents today.
Local officials explained that the mountain and the associated rocks have been in motion since the last Ice Age. Over the past century, the village itself has gradually shifted a few centimeters each year, with an acceleration observed in the last two decades. Currently, the slide has been moving at a rate of approximately one meter (about 3 feet) annually.
