MASSIVE ICEBERG HAS VILLAGE IN NORTHWEST GREENLAND ON HIGH ALERT AFTER BEEN EVACUATED
Residents in houses near the shore of Innarsuit, Greenland are prepared for an evacuation. (Magnus Kristensen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
Low-lying areas of a village in northwestern Greenland remain evacuated as villagers and local authorities monitor a vast iceberg for signs it could move closer or break apart, threatening the remote settlement.
Kenneth Elkjaer, a journalist with Greenland public broadcaster KNR, said Sunday the iceberg is about 500 - 600 meters (about one-third of a mile) offshore and "everybody is waiting to see what happens to the weather."
An 11-million-ton iceberg has lodged dangerously close to a tiny coastal village in Greenland. If it breaks apart, enormous waves generated by the falling ice could wash away parts of the town.
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For the 169 residents of Innaarsuit, their fate may depend entirely on the weather. Strong winds could dislodge the iceberg and send it harmlessly out to sea. But enough rain could make the iceberg more likely to break apart, potentially generating destructive waves.
At 650 feet wide and rising nearly 300 feet above sea level, according to the New York Times, the iceberg is the biggest many residents of Innaarsuit have ever seen.
“We are very concerned and are afraid,” Karl Petersen, chair for the local council in Innaarsuit, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
On Friday, 33 of Innaarsuit's 169 residents had to move to higher ground due to concerns the iceberg could flip or chunks of it could break off, causing a large wave that might flood parts of the village.
Elkjaer said in an email that "police and local authorities will evaluate the situation again tomorrow."
Earthquakes and tsunamis have created major floods in Greenland in recent years.
