Bondo landslide damage estimated at CHF41 million
The massive landslide that swept through Bondo, a small village in canton Graubünden, in August caused damage of around CHF41 million ($41.5 million), the municipality of Bregaglia said on Thursday.
The municipality faced known costs of CHF20 million – half for damage to infrastructure and half for immediate action taken, such as the evacuation of the surrounding area. The cantonal building insurance will cover CHF12.5 million of that since 99 buildings were damaged, a third of them destroyed.
The rest of the CHF41 million is the estimated cost of ongoing work to fix the damage. The municipal authorities said the area around the Piz Cengalo mountain and the Bondasca Valley had to expect further mudslides in the coming years.
+ Landslide sweeps through Swiss village of Bondo
+ Experts warn Bondo landslide danger may not be over
On August 23, four million cubic metres (140 million cubic feet) of rock came crashing down the mountain, resulting in a huge landslide that partly buried Bondo, near the Italian border. Eight hikers died.
It is believed the landslide, one of the largest to hit Switzerland in the past century, was caused by a combination of thawing permafrost and water pressure dislodging rocks.
On Thursday, the municipality of Bregaglia said it was very grateful for the CHF11.75 million collected in donations.
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