Residents of a community in Switzerland fear a rock slide that could destroy their village. Until further notice, they will have to vacate their homes – Phase Red applies.
Updated from May 13, 3:05 pm: “There is no one in the village,” community spokesman Christian Cartman confirmed Saturday morning. Citing information from the Keystone-SDA news agency, SRF reported Brien’s exit. People were accommodated in 130 flats in the area. They will not be allowed to return to Brienz because the exact position of the slope cannot be predicted in detail, explains engineering geologist Simon Lew from ETH Zurich. In a worst-case, but unlikely scenario, rocks could shoot over the village at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
Updated as of May 12, 2:11 pm: The Swiss village of Brienz in Graubünden has had to be evacuated due to the risk of falling rocks. All villagers must have vacated their homes by 6pm on Friday (May 12). Initially, officials said they were allowed to enter the village during the day even after the evacuation. However, phase red is now applicable as a rockfall is becoming more common.
In concrete terms, it means 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 for the next few weeks or months. Srf reported. A shock to the people of Briennes.
“It was like getting a couple on your head. Like a low blow. Subconsciously you know it’s coming, you don’t want to admit it, but it’s coming,” says one resident in an interview. Daily news. He doesn’t like packing. But he had no choice. “My mom told me she’s not afraid of the stones, she’s afraid of the unknown. How long have we been gone? And she doesn’t want to leave the house, and that hurts me too,” Brines continued.
Switzerland fears falling rocks and evacuates entire communities
Report from May 10: Brienz – The small village of Brienz in the Albula/Alvra municipality in the Swiss canton of Graubunden has the largest evacuation in the country to date. Around 6pm on Friday (May 12), a large number of people were evacuated from the village and taken to temporary shelters. The reason for the large scale clearance is the impending rock slide.
| Dorf | Brians |
| Social | Albula/Alvra |
| Condon | Grisons |
| Reported Residents | 85 |
Rockfall in Switzerland: Municipality informs village to evacuate
Again Srf Over the next one to three weeks, large-scale rock slides or collapses may occur. So the municipal administration declared phase orange and informed the people of Brienz about the evacuation on Tuesday evening (May 9). “We know that this decision is associated with a lot of emotions,” said Mayor Daniel Albertin. New Zurich Newspaper (NZZ) Opposite the village.
No one will be allowed to stay overnight in the village from Friday evening till further notice. Depending on how experts assess the risk on Saturday, citizens may go home during the day. Animals in Priyans should also be taken out of the village in view of the impending rock fall. The transport of large livestock, such as cattle and pigs, is organized by the municipality, said Pascal Borchet of the Grafton office for military and civil protection. Srf is known.
Evacuation in Switzerland due to rockfall: Above the village is a rocky area “island”.
Brienz is not the first Swiss village to be at risk of falling rocks – in the mountain village of Kandersteg, the “sharp rock” is expected to fall for years. Residents of Brienz have long known that the 1.9 million cubic meter rock formation above the village, known as the “Island”, is dangerous and under threat of evacuation. The “island” moves independently of the downward slope and has accelerated significantly over the past year. There is a risk of rock fall now. It has something to do with weather forecasting, said Simon Low, professor emeritus of engineering geography at ETH Zurich, on Swiss television. Rain is forecast every day until Sunday (May 14) – which could significantly increase slide speed.
As stated therein NZZ Experts reckon there is a 60 per cent probability that black stones could hit the picturesque village. As Stephen Schneider, head of the Early Warning Service, explains, debris and landslides cannot be ruled out. “It’s a 100- to 200-kilometer-per-hour thunderbolt that hits the village in 30 seconds and destroys the village,” says Schneider.
Rockfall in Switzerland: If the status is red, village evacuation applies during the day.
A red phase should be declared, with experts expecting the rocks to break up in three to ten days. Then Brien’s residents are not allowed to enter the village during the day. An immediate evacuation is also conceivable, according to Schneider. “If conditions unexpectedly worsen before Friday evening, an ’emergency evacuation’ should be triggered.” In this case, residents will be prompted to leave the village immediately with a warning signal. There are currently 85 people registered in Brians. During the evacuation, the municipality offers a furniture store and supports the search for shelter, according to the municipality’s media spokesperson Christian Cartman.
A tragic accident earlier this year showed just how dangerous falling rocks can be: two workers were killed by falling rocks in Austria. (tt/dpa)
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