All residents of the village of Brienz in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have been ordered to leave their homes. The settlement is threatened by a stone collapse, its volume may exceed 2 million cubic meters, informs The Guardian.
The municipal authorities of the canton have introduced a high level of danger in the region. About 130 people live in Brienz – they are already forbidden to stay overnight in the village until further instructions. Starting Saturday, May 13, villagers will be allowed to enter the village during the day if the threat level does not rise.
The area of the alleged landslide is located directly above the village. Experts believe that up to 2 million cubic meters of rock will fall down in the period from seven to 24 days.
Now the municipality of the canton is also considering the possibility of evacuating the neighboring village. It is also in the zone of potential danger.
The settlement of Brienza is located at an altitude of about 1150 meters above sea level. The Guardian points out that, according to local residents, small landslides have been occurring here for centuries. However, they did not pose a threat to the village before.
The largest landslide in Switzerland in 130 years came down in 2017, it also affected the canton of Graubünden. As a result, eight tourists were killed and several houses were destroyed.
