Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Hundreds evacuated as landslide threatens Alpine village

Swiss authorities have expanded the evacuation order for the Alpine village of Blatten, amid growing fears of a major landslide.

More than 90 residents were initially evacuated on Saturday night, but officials in the southern Valais canton extended the order on Monday to encompass almost the entire village of 300, barring residents from all but two areas.

The evacuation comes in response to an escalating risk of rockfalls and landslides, leaving residents uncertain about when they can return home.

The mountain above the village remains unstable, with movements and ongoing small rockfalls being continuously recorded. Local official Matthias Ebener described the situation as "very acute”.

In 2023, residents of the village of Brienz in eastern Switzerland were evacuated before a huge mass of rock slid down a mountainside, stopping just short of the settlement.

Brienz was evacuated again last year because of the threat of a further rockslide.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.