Villagers evacuate after rockfall threatens their homes

The 80 residents of the Swiss town of Brienz have had to evacuate their homes for the second time as a massive torrent of rubble and rocks threatens to engulf the Grisons village.

This situation is due to the devastating landslides in the area and it could last until spring. Some 1.2 million cubic metres of rubble above the village is moving down the valley and threatens to destroy the whole settlement. .

Not only people, but animals, art pieces, historical items and local archives are also being relocated.

The 500-year-old late Gothic altar has also been removed from the church of St. Calixtus for a second time.

Residents had until 1pm on Sunday to leave their houses and apartments. With the deadline now expired, a red alert has been declared, meaning no one is allowed to enter the village.

According to Pascal Porchet, Head of the Cantonal Command and Control Centre, “Everyone left voluntarily. There were no incidents. There was good communication with the residents, both from the municipality and in these community meetings. As a result, everyone left at the end, as we wanted them to.” This restriction will remain in place until the threat of a large rock avalanche has been averted.

In response to the looming threat, military, civil defence, police, and fire brigade personnel have conducted another round of thorough checks throughout the village, ensuring that no one remains behind.

To reinforce the evacuation measures and maintain safety, the area is now under continuous electronic surveillance. Porchet said “we also have video surveillance throughout the village. We can see almost every corner. If there are any major movements in the village, it triggers an alarm. We are confident and optimistic that there will be no incidents.”

This marks the second time in recent weeks that the residents of Brienz have been forced to leave their homes due to the risk of a rock avalanche.

Mayor of the Albula municipality Daniel Albertin, expressed the emotional strain of these evacuations,“It’s a very special feeling, because this is the second time we have to evacuate. The mood is mu ch more spiteful this time than the first time. For the first time, there was more understanding than there is today. Today we also have this difficult situation of not knowing when we will be able to return.” Albertin further explains that as the community is aware of the difficult conditions for return, making the situation even more challenging.

Specialists used the helicopter to install new prism mirrors for the laser tachymeter as an early warning system, above Brienz.

These mirrors measure how the mountain is moving and according to initial measurements one section is sliding at a rate of 20 centimetres per day.