- Swiss villagers told to evacuate over Alpine rockslide alert
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Authorities in eastern Switzerland have ordered residents of the tiny village of Brienz to evacuate by Friday evening because geology experts say a mass of 2 million cubic meters of Alpine rock looming overhead could break loose. Local leaders said Tuesday that residents could return to the village from time to time the village starting Saturday but not stay overnight. The centuries-old village is located southwest of Davos at an altitude of about 1,150 meters (about 3,800 feet). Today it has under 100 residents. Officials say the mountain and the rocks on it have been moving since the last Ice Age, but measurements indicated a “strong acceleration over a large area” in recent days.