Inhabitants of evacuated Swiss village briefly allowed back in
Keep out: the blocked road leading to the village of Brienz/Brinzauls.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Residents of rockslide-threatened Brienz/Brinzauls were temporarily allowed home on Wednesday for the first time since being evacuated last month, but only for 90-minute visits.
This content was published on
1 minute
AP/Keystone-SDA/dos
Italiano
it
Gli abitanti di un villaggio svizzero evacuato possono rientrare per breve tempo
Local authorities allowed a maximum of 30 people into the village at a time to let them retrieve essential items from their houses. Some 84 people live in the village.
Residents were required to register in advance, and only two people per household could visit. A local official told the Keystone-SDA news agency that the atmosphere among those who returned was cheerful, and that they were “happy to get briefly back”.
More
More
The deadliest landslides in Swiss history
This content was published on
A photo essay looking at some of the biggest landslide disasters in Swiss history.
Brienz/Brinzauls is located in the southeastern Swiss canton of Graubünden, at an altitude of about 1,150 meters.
The village was evacuated on May 12 after geology experts warned that a mass of two million cubic meters of rock looming over the village could break loose.
Officials said at the time that experts saw a 60% chance of the rock falling in smaller chunks that might not reach the village or valley but also a 10% chance that the entire mass could tumble down, threatening lives and property.
They said residents would be able to return from time to time, depending on the risk level, but not stay overnight.
There has been no word on whether villagers would be able to return permanently and if so, when.
More
More
Religion and natural disasters: ‘we have to hope’
This content was published on
The looming collapse of the mountain above a Swiss village has put the inhabitants’ faith to the test. We spoke with the local Catholic priest.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations
This content was published on
The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
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.