Close Call: Massive Rockslide Narrowly Misses Swiss Village
A village in Switzerland narrowly escaped destruction when a nearby mountain collapsed overnight, according to officials.
A village in Switzerland narrowly escaped destruction when a nearby mountain collapsed overnight, according to officials. The rockslide, which had been anticipated, missed the village of Brienz by a very small margin. Prior to the incident, authorities had evacuated all 84 residents due to the instability of the Insel peak. Late Thursday night, a significant portion of the peak collapsed, sending over 1.5 million tonnes of rock tumbling down in the dark. Fortunately, early Friday morning, authorities assessed the situation and confirmed that the village had been spared any significant damage. A wall of mud and rock came to a stop just in front of the village school. Geologist Stefan Schneider, who heads the early warning service in Graubunden canton, estimated that approximately 1.5-1.9 million cubic meters of rock became dislodged, resulting in fallen trees and the destruction of a small cabin above the village. Despite some ongoing monitoring due to potential shifts in the rock mass, the risk of a major rockslide devastating the village is no longer significant. By midday Friday, authorities downgraded the alert level, allowing access to neighboring villages via train or road. However, the residents of Brienz will still have to wait before returning to their homes, as the security of the village cannot be guaranteed at this time. Authorities will continue to monitor the situation, particularly in case of rainfall. There is a strong likelihood that all the villagers will eventually be able to return home. Mayor Daniel Albertin expressed relief and called it one of the best days since the evacuation. While the village was spared, the rockslide did have consequences for the Tour de Suisse cycling race, as the planned route had to be shortened. Additionally, the race declared the stage void after the tragic news of Swiss rider Gino Maeder's death from injuries sustained when he fell into a ravine the day before.
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