Brienz is at risk of a horrifying rockslide (Image: Keystone/ Gian Ehrenzeller)
Residents in a picture-perfect small village are living in fear of being buried under rocks and are being forced to flee their homes.
Those living in the of Brienz, renowned for its 18th-century wooden chalets, were forced to pack their belongings and leave their much-loved homes for up to six months.
Authorities issued an evacuation order due to the threat of a possible rockslide from a nearby
Villagers were advised to only pack essential items such as computers and winter clothing alongside school and work materials as they may not return to their homes for up to six months.
Villagers have been forced to flee their homes (Image: Switzerland)
Christian Gartmann, a member of the crisis management, said many people have “lived there for generations and do not want to leave their village.”
He added: “No one is in favour of their own evacuation. They would love to stay in their homes.
“But in reality, it is the mountain that orders us to evacuate them.”
The deadline for evacuating the village expires at 1pm on Sunday, an inspection visit will then take place to ensure that no one is still in the danger zone, Gartmann added.
Temporary accommodation outside the village has already been organised for approximately three-quarters of the residents, and some will stay nearby with friends or family.
Brienz is a beautiful hidden gem village in Switzerland (Image: Getty)
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The rockslide could potentially destroy the small village (Image: Keystone/ Gian Ehrenzeller)
Work is already underway to try and prevent the rockslide. Measuring instruments were installed on the slope above the village last week to monitor the sliding speed of the rock mass.
Gartmann believes that a severe rockslide would almost certainly destroy the serene village.
For many villagers, the evacuation is something of a bad nightmare as it was only in May 2023 when Brienz locals were forced to flee their homes after a rockslide sent 2 million cubic metres of rocks downhill, but it did not reach the village.
There are still 1.2 million cubic metres more threatening to fall, prompting the new evacuation order.