Villages on the Verge: The Threat of Rockslides in Eastern Switzerland

Swiss authorities have taken action to evacuate a village in the country's east due to fears of a potential rockslide. This move comes just three weeks after a mudslide occurred in a vacated village in the southwest.

The residents of Brienz/Brinzauls, a village located about 40 kilometers southwest of Davos, are now prohibited from entering. This decision was made following an alarming acceleration in the movement of a rock mass positioned overhead, posing a collapse threat. Consequently, farming activities have been put on hold, and livestock have been relocated after early warnings emerged on Sunday.

The local authorities are monitoring the region using early-warning systems. Despite claims that man-made climate change is not a contributing factor, the village's geographical instability dates back to the last Ice Age. The village, which sits at an altitude of about 1,150 meters, is home to fewer than 100 residents and straddles German- and Romansch-speaking parts of the eastern Graubünden region.

(With inputs from agencies.)