On Friday at 6 pm the evacuation of all the inhabitants of Brienz was completed, the small Swiss town at the foot of a large rock face where, according to some geologists, a large landslide is imminent.
The inhabitants, about 80 people of whom about 60 are permanent, had received the news of the evacuation last Tuesday and had been given a couple of days to prepare. They will not be able to return to Brienz until further notice: according to the geologists who have dealt with the matter, the landslide should occur “within 4-14 days”.
The evacuation involved both people and animals, such as dairy cows from local farms. Detours have been arranged for cross-country roads, a driving ban has been imposed on some nearby footpaths and some other nearby roads and railway lines will also be closed shortly.
Brienz, also called Brinzauls in Romansh, is located in the Albula valley, more or less in the center of Switzerland. The agglomeration of houses that makes up this small town is located at the foot of a large rock face, from which geologists predict that a mass of two million cubic meters of rock will break away.
The Brienz area has been under observation by scientists and geologists for many years: movements of the mountain and the surrounding terrain have been reported for at least a century, but their speed has increased in the last twenty years. In the village, the church bell tower partially tilted and some buildings showed cracks due to slipping of the ground.
The evacuation was initially scheduled for next autumn, but was brought forward due to a significant increase in the speed and extent of the movements, noted by geologists. At the moment it is not possible to hypothesize with certainty whether these collapses will be gradual, and the debris will stop before the town, or if the wall will collapse in one huge landslide, which could completely destroy Brienz.
The hope of the authorities and inhabitants is that after the expected landslide, especially if it is gradual, it will be possible to return to live in Brienz. The heavy rains of recent days could accelerate the process, which in this case does not appear to be directly linked to global warming, according to reports from the authorities.
– Read also: The Swiss country evacuated due to the risk of a huge landslide
