small village Friends in the central Switzerland he always lived in the shadow of the formidable Mount Pleasure. However, on Tuesday, engineers from the canton of Bern concluded that part of the mountainside is very close to the point of collapse. About 85 permanent residents (130 registered in the electoral rolls) Briendov. they were ordered to leave their homes no later than the evening. Geologists began to carefully record the situation in 2017. In recent weeks, a research team has detected an acceleration of two million cubic meters of sloping ground composed of loose rock and soil.

“This is a difficult situation, but we are prepared and prepared for it, despite our wish that nothing like this ever happens,” said Cantonal Prime Minister Peter Bayer, who addressed residents at an emergency town hall meeting on Tuesday evening.

Although scientists believe that the side of the mountain could collapse at any moment, they cannot predict exactly when and how exactly this will happen. Stefan Schneider, head of mechanical engineering, also acknowledged his inability to make predictions in front of the assembled residents.

The most likely scenario involves a landslide, when rocks roll down the side of a mountain but fall off before reaching the village houses. Another possibility would be the slow but steady collapse of the entire mountainside into a slow-moving river, similar to “flowing honey” as described by Snyder.

Accelerating the movement of sloping soil, consisting of loose rocks and soil, with a volume of two million cubic meters.

However, the most dangerous possibility is the sudden collapse of the slope, which would mean the complete destruction of the village and its historic church. Some buildings in Brienda date back to the 17th century. Snyder, however, is reassuring, pointing out that this possibility is the least likely to happen.

Unlike many modern natural disasters in Europe, this is not directly related to climate change. The slope has been moving slightly over the years, and has recently begun to accelerate. The municipal authorities are also optimistic, believing that the landslide will be limited and the houses of the village will be occupied again.

The municipality has urged residents to take only items of sentimental value that are not covered by insurance companies, such as photo albums and family heirlooms, warning them that they may be away from home for several months. The case will soon be over, and so he wishes for rain, which he says will encourage a landslide and allow the residents to return. The fox has packed his tools, carvings, and hunting trophies, and says he’s ready to temporarily move to his hunting lodge on the mountain, away from the landslide.

Last week, the municipality published a list of transport companies that residents can use. However, no one contacted the companies until Tuesday, when the evacuation order was issued.

Of Briend’s 130 permanent residents, only 85 live there year-round, with the population increasing during holiday periods. “No one has to sleep in a gym or a hotel. We will find hosting solutions in neighboring communities,” says Mayor Christian Hartmann.