Rockfall-induced evacuation may last 'up to several months': Swiss official

A Swiss hamlet was being evacuated Friday after authorities determined the unstable mountain towering above could come raining down in a few days. Access to the small village of Brienz in far-eastern Switzerland will be off limits, local authorities said. Towering over Brienz is an unstable mountain with around two million cubic metres of rock that is slipping and threatening to break loose.

Brienz's 84 residents have been aware for some time that an evacuation might be necessary. Earlier this week they received an emergency notice saying they needed to be out by Friday. The residents are being temporarily accommodated at a safe distance. Switzerland's Federal Office for Civil Aviation has also issued a no-fly zone over the village, located at an altitude of 10,000 feet.