Residents of a community in Switzerland fear a rockslide could destroy their village. Until further notice, they must leave their homes – Phase Red applies.

Update from May 12, 2:11 PM: The Swiss village of Brienz in Graubünden must be evacuated because a rockfall is imminent. All villagers must vacate their homes by Friday (May 12) at 6pm. Originally, the authorities said that entering the village during the day was still permitted after the evacuation. However, as the possibility of falling boulders became more and more, the red phase now applied.

In concrete terms, this means a complete evacuation for an indefinite period of time. After the citizens of Brienz left their homes on Friday evening, they will not be able to return in this way for the next few weeks or even months extravagance mentioned. Shock to the people of Brienz.

“It was like putting a couple on your head. Like a low blow. A resident says in an interview with Daily news. He doesn’t like to pack up. But he has no other choice. “My mom told me she’s not afraid of stones, she’s afraid of the unknown. How long have we been gone? And she doesn’t want to leave the house, and it hurts me too,” Prinze continued.

Switzerland fears a rockslide and the abandonment of the entire community

First report from May 10: Brienz – In the small village of Brienz in the municipality of Albula/Alfra in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, one of the largest evacuations in the country is still pending to date. By Friday (May 12) at 6 pm, many people had to leave the village and be taken to temporary shelters. The reason for the large-scale removal is an impending boulder.

Rockfall in Switzerland: the municipality informs the village of an evacuation

again extravagance Reports indicate that large amounts of boulders could slide off or cut down a slope within the next one to three weeks. The municipal management team therefore declared phase orange and told Brienz residents to vacate on Tuesday evening (May 9). „We realize that this decision is associated with a lot of emotion,” said Mayor Daniel Albertin, according to the newspaper. New Zurich newspaper (NZZ) opposite the village.

From Friday evening until further notice, no one will be allowed to stay overnight in the village. Depending on how experts assess the risks on Saturday, citizens can go home during the day. The animals in Brienz also have to be removed from the village due to an impending rock. Pascal Porchet of the Graubünden Office for Military and Civil Protection said that the transportation of large livestock such as cows and pigs is regulated by the municipality. extravagance a favour.

Evacuation in Switzerland due to rockslide: above the village there is an „island” rocky area

Brienz isn’t the first Swiss village to have a rockslide risk – in the mountain village of Kandersteg, „pointy boulders” were expected years ago. The residents of Brienz have also long known that the 1.9 million cubic meter rocky area called the „island” above the village is dangerous and could be threatened with eviction. The Island moves independently of the slope below and has accelerated significantly over the past year. Now the danger of rockfall is acute. This also has to do with weather forecasts, said Simon Loew, professor emeritus of engineering geology at ETH Zurich on Swiss TV. Rain is expected every day through Sunday (May 14th) – this could speed up the slide significantly.

According to the NZ Experts assume there is a 60 percent chance that boulders will collapse onto the idyllic village. A debris flow and landslide cannot be ruled out, explains the head of the Early Warning Service, Stefan Schneider. „It’s something where you’re going downhill at 100 to 200 kilometers an hour, and you’re in the village in 30 seconds and you destroy the village,” Schneider says.

Rockfall in Switzerland: If the level is red, the village evacuation also applies during the day

Once experts expect the rocks to break in three to ten days, the red phase should be declared. Then the inhabitants of Brienz will not be allowed into the village during the day. According to Schneider, an immediate evacuation is conceivable. „If the situation unexpectedly deteriorates faster than expected before Friday evening, an ’emergency evacuation’ should be triggered. In this case, residents will be ordered with an alarm to leave the village immediately. There are currently 85 people registered in Brienz. During the evacuation, the municipality provides A furniture store and supports the search for housing, according to Christian Gartmann, the municipality’s media spokesperson.

A tragic accident at the beginning of the year showed how dangerous boulders can be: two workers died in a rock fall in Austria. (rr / dpa)