In a small village in Switzerland, residents began evacuating on Wednesday following an evacuation order issued by local authorities due to the imminent risk of a rockslide from the mountain above. The order requires villagers to leave by Sunday, as officials assess the potential dangers that could arise.

Officials from the village of Brienz, which is situated in the eastern part of Switzerland, collaborated with geology and natural-hazards experts to evaluate the situation. They announced their recommendations for precautionary evacuation in a statement released on Tuesday. According to Christian Gartmann, a member of the crisis management board from the town of Albula that oversees Brienz, the local population of around 90 is already making arrangements to leave. This marks a repeat of a similar evacuation that occurred a year and a half ago.

Gartmann noted that the preparations for evacuation started swiftly, with residents organizing themselves promptly. He advised that villagers should gather essential items such as laptops, winter clothing, and any necessary materials for school and work, as they might be away for up to six months. “It’s not a complete relocation,” he explained the order to residents, emphasizing the importance of “taking only what you need over the next few months and leaving behind unnecessary items.”

Temporary housing has been arranged for about 75% of the residents, with some opting to stay with friends and family in nearby areas. The current danger is primarily from loose rocks that are already present on the mountainside, rather than from an imminent larger collapse, according to Gartmann’s assessment.

Furthermore, attempts to mitigate the risk through a controlled explosion to deliberately trigger a rockslide were ruled out. This decision was influenced by the significant amount of explosives—approximately 300 tons—required for such an operation, as well as the inherent risks to the blasting teams and potential repercussions for the adjacent mountains.