40 people in Schwanden GL cannot return to their homes
Published: Friday, Dec 15th 2023, 12:01
Updated At: Friday, Dec 15th 2023, 12:02
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People will never again live in the area destroyed by landslides in the Glarus village of Schwanden. This was decided by the Glarus authorities due to the major natural hazards in the Wagenrunse area. 40 people are affected by this decision. The authorities even want to demolish the 70 or so buildings in the "red zone". The cantonal buildings insurance company spoke of one of the biggest events in its insurance history.
There is an immediate danger to life and limb in the red zone, said the mayor of Glarus South, Hansruedi Forrer (SP), to the media in Schwanden on Friday. There is still a risk of 60,000 cubic meters of material sliding down - twice as much as came down at the end of August and destroyed and damaged several houses.
After this event, the cantonal authorities drew up a hazard map showing which residential areas were at high risk. Around 30 properties with around 70 buildings are located in the so-called red zone. The authorities have now issued a permanent ban on use and access in these areas. In addition, all existing buildings are to be demolished.
The owners will be invited to individual meetings in January. Demolition orders will then be sent out at the end of January. Before demolition, a structural engineer will check whether the buildings are stable enough to salvage belongings from them or not. Unfortunately, even one objection could delay the process by years, Forrer told the media. This is probably unavoidable.
Those affected reacted calmly
Those affected had already been informed the day before. He was surprised at how calmly they reacted to this bad news, Forrer continued. The incident hazard map was like a relief. The 40 people affected now have certainty and can look for a permanent, new solution.
Currently, 64 people are still evacuated. According to the new hazard map, 24 people have a chance of returning. Their homes are in the yellow and blue zones. But there will also be repeated evacuations in the future, said Adolf Tschudi, Head of the Forest and Agriculture Department of the municipality of Glarus Süd. As of Friday, all 24 people from these areas should be able to return within a year.
Up to 25 million francs in damage
The landslides in Schwanden were one of the biggest events in the canton's insurance history, said Hansueli Leisinger, representative of the cantonal buildings insurance company. He expects the damage to amount to between 15 and 25 million francs. Those affected in the red zone will now receive money to rebuild or buy another house in the canton.
The municipality is planning a donation day to support those affected. On December 20, regional media partners will spend the whole day looking for donations for Schwanden. So far, almost 400,000 francs have been received. This is a large amount. However, in view of the large number of victims, the authorities said that the money would quickly run out.
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