Swiss village evacuated because of mudslide threat

Swiss authorities have evacuated around 100 people from their homes after a mudslide threatened their Alpine village of Blatten in the Lötschental Valley

GENEVA -- Swiss authorities evacuated around 100 people from their homes after a mudslide threatened their Alpine village of Blatten in the Lötschental Valley.

The evacuation Saturday night was calm and orderly, local spokesman Matthias Ebener told Swiss newssite 20 Minuten.

“Everyone was able to find private accommodation with relatives or friends, or in other hotels. The tourists affected were relocated to nearby hotels,” he said.

It wasn't immediately clear when the residents would be able to return to their homes, but likely not before Tuesday.

“There is a real risk of rockfalls,” Ebener said, referring to the nearby Kleine Nesthorn Mountain and the Birch Glacier.

Several hiking paths and roads were also temporarily closed.

Last year, residents of the village of Brienz also had to pack up their belongings and leave because of the threat of a possible rockslide from an Alpine mountainside overhead.

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