Threatening rockfall in Brienz: the population can briefly go back

Brienz – Almost four weeks after the evacuation of the village of Brienz in Switzerland due to an impending rockfall, residents are allowed to go back to their homes for the first time.

The danger situation allows this, the community announced on Tuesday. Farmers were allowed to mow meadows below the village. Houses can be entered on Wednesday. However, the 87 residents are only allowed to go into the village in small groups for 90 minutes each to pick up things they need for everyday life.

Since the village was cleared in mid-May, numerous smaller and larger boulders have slid towards the village. Such demolitions can be seen again and again on a video stream from cameras that the tabloid Blick had installed before the village was cleared.

Altogether, according to May’s estimates, two million cubic meters of rock were in motion above the village. It’s difficult for experts to say how much of this has already been lost.

It is possible that all the rubble remains outside the village. However, there is still a risk that houses and churches will be swept away by a larger landslide.

Brienz is located about 25 kilometers southwest of Davos in the canton of Graubünden at an altitude of about 1100 meters. It is not to be confused with the better-known Brienz, not far from Interlaken.

Climate change is making rockfalls more likely in some places. When permafrost thaws, debris and boulders can lose their footing. According to experts, this does not play a role in Brienz. There, the mountain has been in motion for thousands of years, according to local authorities. However, the landslide had accelerated significantly in the past 20 years.