11-Million Ton Iceberg Threatens to Unleash Tsunami upon Greenland Village

Huge iceberg off Greenland sparks flooding fears
AFP

An 11-million ton iceberg sitting off the coast of a remote Greenland village is worrying residents, who say the iceberg could break off and threaten their remote village at a moment’s notice.

Local authorities told 33 of the 169 residents of Innaarsuit living close to the iceberg to evacuate the area and move to higher ground. Other residents with boats have been asked to move their vessels inland.

Officials say there are concerns that chunks of the iceberg could flood the remote village with tsunami-like waves, according to multiple reports.

“We are very concerned and are afraid,” Karl Petersen, chair for the local council in Innaarsuit, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

A Danish meteorologist said that the iceberg—estimated to be about as long as two football fields—can rise nearly 300 feet in the air depending on weather conditions.

The iceberg is currently 500 to 600 meters offshore, and police and local officials will conduct an updated evaluation of the situation on Monday.

The CBC reported that the Danish Royal Navy is on hand in the event something happens to the iceberg.

Greenland has a history of icebergs threatening to unleash torrential amounts of water on remote villages. In June 2017, an earthquake caused a tsunami near Nuugaatsiaq village that killed four people and swept away 11 homes.

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