Swiss village gets half a million amid rockfall threat as some residents resist evacuation

On June 15, 2023, a debris flow nearly reached the village. Now, another 1.2 million cubic metres of rock debris threatens to slide down. Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

The government of canton Graubünden, in eastern Switzerland, has pledged emergency aid of CHF500,000 ($565,930) to the village of Brienz, which faces the imminent threat of another landslide and must be evacuated. However, some residents have questioned the authorities’ actions.

The canton announced on Tuesday that it is bolstering its support for the municipal leadership and authorities of Albula, following a request from the municipality.

A rockslide of 1.2 million cubic metres threatens to bury the mountain village. However, it could take months for the material to actually slide down.

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Due to the imminent threat of another landslide, residents of the village of Brienz will likely need to evacuate their homes by Sunday noon for several months. “In light of the upcoming evacuation, the government has decided to provide additional emergency aid amounting to CHF500,000,” the statement said. This contribution is intended to help cover uncovered moving and rental costs, among other things. The distribution will be decided by the municipality of Albula in coordination with the donation commission.

Around 80 residents of Brienz had to leave their homes in May 2023 due to significant movement of debris and rocks above the village. Authorities feared a major rockfall or debris flow that could have swept away the entire village.

The debris flow finally occurred on the night of June 16, 2023. Massive amounts of rock cascaded down the slope, burying a road and meadows under metres of debris, stopping just a few metres short of the village.

+Huge landslide narrowly misses Swiss mountain village

Brienz residents question evacuation order

The mood among Brienz residents affected by the evacuation is tense, with some questioning the authorities’ actions on Tuesday evening.

“We’re not leaving a third time,” said one resident in front of the authorities in Tiefencastel, in canton Graubünden. By saying this, he questioned the decision to evacuate the village by Sunday noon due to the threat of a rockslide.

“You’re not leaving for us, you’re leaving for yourselves,” the authorities responded, emphasising that the decision was made with the well-being of the affected residents in mind.

“It’s simply too dangerous to stay in the village,” said geologist Stefan Schneider. With a change in the weather expected next week, the evacuation cannot be delayed any longer.

Translated from German by DeepL/sp

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