The residents and municipal authorities of Bergell remember the victims of the rock slide on Piz Cengalo on August 23, 2017. Eight people have been missing since the rock slide, 147 had to be evacuated following the debris flows. Since July, rocks have been moving again at Piz Cengalo. There is still a risk of further landslides and debris flows in Val Bondasca; all hiking trails in the side valley are blocked.
Press release with raw material
One year after the huge rock slide and debris flows up to Bondo, Bergell remembers the victims of the natural disaster. On the morning of August 23, 2017, eight people fell victim to the rock slide from Piz Cengalo in Val Bondasca. Despite immediate search measures, there is still no trace of them. A search in July 2018 was unsuccessful.
“From now on, August 23 will be the day when we think of the eight victims in Val Bondasca and their survivors as well as the many victims of the natural disaster in our community,” says Mayor Anna Giacometti. “We also remember the great wave of solidarity in the valley and far beyond and the great commitment of all rescue and aid workers.”
Following the rock slide, the existing alarm system for debris flows in Val Bondasca was further expanded and completed in spring 2018. Since then, the Piz Cengalo has been constantly monitored with radar and cameras and the situation is constantly being assessed by experts. Through winter and into July, radar measurements had no longer shown any major rock movements and only minor rock falls occurred.
The latest measurements show that around 3 million cubic meters of rock have been moving again since July. If the movements continue, a rock slide of more than 1 million cubic meters cannot be ruled out this summer. All hiking trails in Val Bondasca are blocked.
Protection against further debris flows
There are around 1.5 million cubic meters of crashed rock material along the waters in Val Bondasca, which can be easily mobilized with enough water. So far, there has been no sustained heavy rainfall. However, new debris flows down to the bottom of Bondo must be expected, particularly in the event of severe summer thunderstorms or another major rock slide. Mountain movements and weather developments in summer 2018 are therefore decisive for the future.
The community has prepared itself as best as possible for further possible events in Bondo. The retention basin was provisionally increased to around 300,000 m3 and an emergency plan was drawn up in cooperation with the cantonal offices. The population was informed in detail about what to do in the event of an incident. Should access to the town be endangered again, the emergency road via a makeshift bridge is still available to the army.
All information is available on the municipality's website. Together with the civil engineering department of the Canton of Grisons, the municipality is working on the definitive protective building concept for the Bondo, Spino, Sottoponte and Promontogno area and future road connections. The concept also takes into account the protected townscape of Bondo. The approximate costs are 23 million francs.
The community's management team held a training day together with the Office of Military and Civil Protection. He trained and consolidated systematic staff work and refined the technical specifications of the staff as well as the Safety and Avalanche Commission.
retrospective
Only hours after the major rock slide, the first surges of debris reached the Bondo area on August 23, 2017. By August 31, almost half a million cubic meters of rocks, debris and mud had been deposited there. The earth buried parts of Bondo, Spino, Sottoponte and Promontogno. 147 people had to be evacuated over several weeks. Ten of them were unable to return to their homes. The total damage is estimated at 41 million francs.
Immediately after the disaster, work began to restore the protective structures and protect the remaining districts. After seven weeks, the evacuations could begin to be lifted. Eleven weeks after the first debris flow, the retention basin was emptied and the severely damaged cantonal road was back in operation. The rubble mass was installed at two new landfills near Bondo. The landfills are already being recultivated again.
Graubünden Buildings Insurance (GVG) and Graubünden Elementarschadenkasse (ESK) were able to quickly initiate the repair of damage to buildings and land and in some cases have already completed it. Seven residential buildings and a municipal workshop had to be demolished and cannot be rebuilt due to the danger situation or the construction of new protective structures. The financial compensation was transferred to the affected owners in a very short time.
In April 2018, a temporary suspension bridge for pedestrians was built between Bondo and Promontogno. In the Caltuera area, at the two landfills, a merger of goods has been initiated and the replacement of the “Marlun” road bridge in Val Bondasca is being planned.
The municipality of Bregaglia was supported and supported in its extensive tasks by the Canton of Grisons, the federal government and an unprecedented wave of solidarity. The fortune chain, the sponsorship for mountain communities and the community itself received donations of almost 14 million francs. A commission was set up by the government of the Canton of Graubünden to coordinate the use of donations.
Latest pictures The Graubünden registry office provides media professionals with current drone images (video and photo) from Bondo on their FTP server. The login can be obtained via the e-mail address Mediendienst@gr.ch.
Note to editors A memorial event will be held later this month for the victims of the rock slide in Val Bondasca. The event is reserved for the relatives of the missing persons and takes place in closed doors and the media. We ask you to respect that.
personals
Bregaglia Municipality
Anna Giacometti, Sindaco
081 822 60 70
anna.giacometti@bregaglia.ch
Department of Forest and Natural Hazards Grisons
Reto Hefti, office manager
+41 81 257 38 51
reto.hefti@awn.gr.ch
Civil Engineering Department of the Canton of Graubünden
Reto Knuchel, cantonal engineer
+41 81 257 37 01
reto.knuchel@tba.gr.ch
Office of Military and Civil Protection Grisons
Martin Bühler, office manager
+41 81 257 35 22
martin.buehler@amz.gr.ch
Graubünden Buildings Insurance (GVG)
Markus Feltscher, Director
+41 81 258 90 01
markus.feltscher@gvg.gr.ch
Christian Gartmann is a member of the management staff of the municipality of Bregaglia following the rock falls and debris flows at Bondo in 2017. On the anniversary of the disaster, he held a media conference on behalf of the municipality and canton with Mayor Anna Giacometti, Councillor Christian Rathgeb and Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin.