A Race against time

Betty Henderson

THE serene Swiss village of Brienz became the centre of a high­stakes evacuation operation from Tuesday, May 9 as authorities feared an imminent catastrophe caused by an impending rockslide. Residents were instructed to urgently evacuate their homes by evening on Friday, May 12. The residents were forced to flee their homes due to the looming threat of a rockfall, of a colossal mass of Alpine rock totalling a staggering two million cubic metres.

At a recent town hall meeting, local leaders revealed that geologists had ob­

AS she prepares to leave office, Finland’s Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, has also announced that she is divorcing her husband Markus Raikkonen.

In an Instagram story on Wednesday, May 10, the leader expressed her gratitude for the couple’s 19 years of shared memories and the love they built together. Amidst the divorce proceedings, the pair remain committed to served a rapid acceleration in local rock movement. The unsettling prognosis suggested that within seven to 24 days, up to two million cubic metres of rock material could collapse or slide, endangering lives and properties.

Situated in the picturesque Graubünden region, Brienz is a historic village known for its unique blend of German and Romansch cultures. However, the village has experienced an alarming increase in rock movement over the past two decades, with the landslide now progressing at a rate of approximately one metre per year. Experts continue to investigate countermeasures but have already ruled out controlled explosions or protective walls due to impracticality.