Inhabitants of evacuated Swiss village briefly allowed back in

Keep out: the blocked road leading to the village of Brienz/Brinzauls. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

Residents of rockslide-threatened Brienz/Brinzauls were temporarily allowed home on Wednesday for the first time since being evacuated last month, but only for 90-minute visits.

Local authorities allowed a maximum of 30 people into the village at a time to let them retrieve essential items from their houses. Some 84 people live in the village.

Residents were required to register in advance, and only two people per household could visit. A local official told the Keystone-SDA news agency that the atmosphere among those who returned was cheerful, and that they were “happy to get briefly back”.

Brienz/Brinzauls is located in the southeastern Swiss canton of Graubünden, at an altitude of about 1,150 meters.

The village was evacuated on May 12 after geology experts warned that a mass of two million cubic meters of rock looming over the village could break loose.

Officials said at the time that experts saw a 60% chance of the rock falling in smaller chunks that might not reach the village or valley but also a 10% chance that the entire mass could tumble down, threatening lives and property.

They said residents would be able to return from time to time, depending on the risk level, but not stay overnight.

There has been no word on whether villagers would be able to return permanently and if so, when.