Around 85 millimetres of rain has fallen on the unstable Bröckelberg massif since the start of the month. A decisive burst of 14 millimetres on Friday accelerated the rate at which a section of the mountain is descending into the valley.
In between times, a huge landslide resulted in 1.5 million cubic meters of rock sliding down the mountainside, narrowly avoiding the village but covering an access road and leaving a significant deposit in front of the school building.
A three square kilometre section of the mountain has been inexorably sliding towards the village at an average rate of more than a metre a year, before picking up speed in recent months.
The local authorities reported the latest worrying findings on Thursday, but there was no mention of another evacuation at this point.
The village in the southwestern Swiss canton of Graubünden is due to receive some relief in the shape of a new drainage tunnel, which was voted through last week.
The local council hopes the federal authorities will foot 90% of the CHF40 million ($46 million) bill.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
This content was published on
The UN Human Rights Council approved the launch of this mechanism in Geneva on Friday, to be followed by an International Commission of Inquiry.
More than 100 wolves shot in Switzerland last year
This content was published on
Swiss hunters legally killed 101 wolves between February 1, 2024, and the end of January 2025. A further six died in accidents or from natural causes.
Swiss health office turns to Bluesky against backdrop of US censorship
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has joined the Bluesky social network, while US President Donald Trump works with X owner Elon Musk to censor content on official US websites.
Biotech company BioVersys is first Swiss IPO of 2025
This content was published on
The Basel-based biotech company BioVersys made the first initial public offering (IPO) of the year in Switzerland on Friday.
Much more spent on Swiss motorway vote campaigns than budgeted
This content was published on
Opponents and supporters of motorway expansion spent over CHF10 million ($11 million) on their campaigns, around a third more than announced in November.
Swiss researchers monitor animal populations with AI microphone
This content was published on
Researchers in Lausanne are using an intelligent microphone to make the animal world audible. The microphone automatically records animal sounds over large areas and analyses them using AI.
Three employees of Swiss aid organisation killed in DRC
This content was published on
Three employees of the Swiss Protestant Reformed Church (Heks) have been killed in an attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were on a humanitarian mission in the crisis region.
This content was published on
All our waters today are pure at source," Muriel Lienau, general manager of Nestlé Waters, told AFP after press revelations.
Switzerland concerned about impact of US withdrawal from WHO
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed concern about the loss of American experts and the freezing of contracts due to the announced withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Evacuated Swiss village to allow residents to return
This content was published on
The mountain village of Brienz/Brinzauls narrowly escaped a significant landslide. Next Monday, residents will be able to return during the day.
Risk of huge rockslide demolishing Swiss village recedes
This content was published on
The likelihood of a major collapse of the crumbling mountain above Brienz/Brinzauls has decreased but can still not be ruled out.
Inhabitants of evacuated Swiss village briefly allowed back in
This content was published on
Residents of rockslide-threatened Brienz/Brinzauls were temporarily allowed home on Wednesday for the first time since May.
This content was published on
The Swiss village of Brienz/Brinzauls, which sits beneath an unstable mountain, is devoid of people and animals and is on red alert.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.