Brienz rockslide threat and life in exile

Residents of rockslide-threatened Brienz/Brinzauls have been fetching items from their homes to make their lives in exile more bearable.

They were temporarily allowed home a few days ago for the first time since being evacuated last month amid concerns that the nearby crumbling mountain could destroy their village.

Some 84 people live there and only two people per household could come back. 

Brienz/Brinzauls is in the southeastern Swiss canton of Graubünden, at an altitude of about 1,150 metres. It was evacuated on May 12 after geology experts warned that there was a 10% chance that the whole mass of two million cubic metres of rock looming over the village could break loose and crash down, seriously threatening lives and property.

One month on experts now appear more cautious about a worst-case scenario. The likelihood of a major collapse of the crumbling mountain above Brienz/Brinzauls has decreased but can still not be ruled out, Swiss authorities said on June 8.

Since May 12, the municipality has received donations from all over Switzerland. Swiss public television, SRF, spoke to some of the families that have been evacuated, and asked them what it is like living in exile and how they see the future.