jan 10, 1962 - Huascaran Avalanche, Peru
Andes Mountain Range
Description:
Mount Huascaran is an extinct volcano located in the Andes Mountains of Peru with, many Peruvian settlers living at its base in an area called Rio Santa Valley. On January 10, 1962, a massive chunk of a massive glacier on the mountain broke off and slid down to the Rio Santa Valley at a very fast speed. The avalanche traveled a distance of 9.5 miles in a fast 7 minutes. It wiped away many valley communities and buried the towns of Ranrahirca and Huarascucho under 40 feet of snow. The avalanche continued to cause mass destruction until it reached the Santa River, blocking the river flow and causing massive flooding in the nearby areas. Over 4,000 people lost their lives in the disaster. Many bodies remained buried in snow and were not discovered for a long time. A large number of farm animals and millions of dollars of crops were also lost in the disaster.
Added to timeline:
Avalanche Timeline
Just a few massive avalanches from the past 100 years
Date:
