GENEVA (AP) – Swiss authorities have taken precautionary measures by clearing the village of Brienz/Brinzauls, located in the eastern part of the country, due to concerns over a potential rockslide. This decision comes three weeks after a mudslide submerged the vacated southwestern village of Blatten.
Local officials announced on Monday that residents in Brienz/Brinzauls, situated approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Davos, are currently prohibited from entering the village. This action was prompted by alarming developments regarding a rock mass on a nearby plateau, which has reportedly accelerated in movement, posing a significant threat of collapse. As a result of the early warning signs detected on Sunday, farm work in the area has been suspended, and livestock owners have relocated their animals from adjacent pastures.
The region is under continuous surveillance through advanced early-warning systems, which have proven essential given the area's history of evacuations. Notably, residents were previously ordered to evacuate Brienz/Brinzauls in November and again in June two years ago, shortly before a massive rock formation descended the mountain, narrowly missing the settlement.
Geologically, the mountain and the rocks atop it have been in motion since the last Ice Age. While the melting of glaciers has influenced the stability of these rocks over thousands of years, local authorities have asserted that recent glacier melt, attributed to human-induced climate change, has not played a significant role in this situation.
The historic village of Brienz/Brinzauls straddles both German- and Romansch-speaking areas within the eastern Graubünden region, sitting at an altitude of approximately 1,150 meters (about 3,800 feet). Today, it is home to fewer than 100 residents, underscoring the small scale of the community.
In a related incident, leading Swiss insurers released a preliminary assessment on Tuesday regarding the damage caused by the submerging of the southwestern village of Blatten, which occurred on May 28. The estimated cost of damages is around 320 million Swiss francs (about $393 million), with over 80% of this figure attributed to the destruction of buildings and movable property. The remaining damages, totaling about 60 million francs (approximately $73.8 million), involve impacts on local businesses and motor vehicles.
