Geologists warn of new rockfall above Swiss village

Geologists expect new rockfall above Brienz GR Keystone-SDA

Part of the plateau above the landslide-prone village of Brienz in Switzerland has accelerated significantly. Geologists warn that up to 150,000 cubic metres of rock could fall in the next few days.

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For several days now, the early warning service has been observing a significant acceleration in the Plateau Ost section high above Brienz, writes the municipality of Albula in its latest bulletin on the Brienz landslide from Tuesday evening. At eight to ten centimetres per day, the plateau is moving faster than ever before.

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“The geologists assume that parts of the eastern plateau could collapse in the next few days,” the bulletin continues. Between 100,000 and 150,000 cubic metres of rock are at risk of falling.

In the worst-case scenario – should the falling mass set another pile of rubble in motion – up to one million cubic metres of material could flow towards the village in the form of a rapid stream of debris or a rock avalanche. “Parts of the village could be affected,” the municipality adds. However, it is also possible that a collapse of the eastern plateau would have no further impact.

No immediate danger to rail

The railway line and the cantonal road below the village are currently not at risk. Access to the village for evacuees and the cultivation of meadows is currently not possible for safety reasons. It was originally planned that the village could be entered on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday between 9am and 5pm.

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The approximately 80 inhabitants of Brienz, which belongs to the municipality of Albula, have been evacuated again since November 2024. On 15 June 2023, a torrent of rubble almost buried the evacuated village. 1.7 million cubic metres of material came to a halt just before the edge of the village.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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