Authorities in eastern Switzerland have evacuated the village of Brienz/Brinzauls due to the imminent threat of a rockslide, just three weeks after a mudslide engulfed another village in the country’s southwest.
Residents of Brienz/Brinzauls — located roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Davos — have been blocked from returning as a massive rock formation above the village has begun shifting dangerously fast, raising fears it could soon collapse. Officials announced on Monday that all farming activity in the area has been suspended, and local livestock has been moved out of the surrounding pastures after early warning signs appeared on Sunday.
The region is equipped with a robust early-warning system and has faced similar threats before. In both June two years ago and again in November, residents were temporarily evacuated before a large rockfall narrowly missed the village.
Geological movement in the area dates back to the last Ice Age. While climate change has contributed to glacier melt in general, local experts say it has not been a key factor in the current instability of the rock mass.
Brienz/Brinzauls is a historic alpine village situated at about 1,150 meters (3,800 feet) above sea level in the eastern canton of Graubünden. It lies between German- and Romansch-speaking regions and is home to fewer than 100 people.
Meanwhile, a major Swiss insurance association released early estimates of the damage from the recent mudslide that submerged the southwestern village of Blatten on May 28. The total damage is estimated at around 320 million Swiss francs (approximately $393 million). Over 80% of that total is linked to losses involving buildings and personal property, while the remainder — about 60 million francs (or $73.8 million) — stems from damages to businesses and vehicles.
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