
Swiss village evacuated over threat of rockslide
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss authorities cleared a village in the country's east over a potential rockslide, three weeks after a mudslide submerged a vacated village in the southwest.
Residents of Brienz/Brinzauls, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Davos, were being barred from entering the village because a rock mass on a plateau overhead has 'accelerated so rapidly that it threatens to collapse,' a statement from local officials said Monday.

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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Swiss village evacuated over threat of rockslide
Residents of Brienz/Brinzauls were being barred from entering the village Published Jun 17, 2025 • 1 minute read View of the village Brienz and the "Brienzer Rutsch", taken in Brienz-Brinzauls, Switzerland, May 12, 2023. Photo by Arnd Wiegmann / AP GENEVA — Swiss authorities cleared a village in the country's east over a potential rockslide, three weeks after a mudslide submerged a vacated village in the southwest. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Residents of Brienz/Brinzauls, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Davos, were being barred from entering the village because a rock mass on a plateau overhead has 'accelerated so rapidly that it threatens to collapse,' a statement from local officials said Monday. Farm work in the area was also being halted, and livestock owners moved their animals out of nearby pastures due to early warning signs on Sunday. Authorities said the region is closely monitored by early-warning systems in the town, which is no stranger to such evacuations: Villagers had been ordered out of Brienz/Brinzauls in November and in June two years ago — before a huge mass of rock tumbled down the mountain, narrowly missing the village. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The mountain and the rocks on it have been moving since the last Ice Age. While glacier melt has affected the precariousness of the rocks over millennia, local authorities say melting glaciers due to 'man-made' climate change in recent decades hasn't been a factor. The centuries-old village straddles German- and Romansch-speaking parts of the eastern Graubunden region and sits at an altitude of about 1,150 meters (about 3,800 feet). Today, it has under 100 residents. A leading Swiss insurers' association issued Tuesday a preliminary estimate of damages related to the submerging of the southwestern village of Blatten on May 28, putting the figure at some 320 million Swiss francs (about $393 million) — more than 80% of which was attributed to damages to buildings and movable property. The rest — about 60 million francs (about $73.8 million) _ involved damage to businesses and motor vehicles.


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Toronto Star
4 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Swiss village evacuated over threat of rockslide
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss authorities cleared a village in the country's east over a potential rockslide, three weeks after a mudslide submerged a vacated village in the southwest. Residents of Brienz/Brinzauls, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Davos, were being barred from entering the village because a rock mass on a plateau overhead has 'accelerated so rapidly that it threatens to collapse,' a statement from local officials said Monday.