A 100-metre massive iceberg is almost close to a Greenland community whose residents fear a devastating tsunami if the ice mountain breaks apart in warming weather.
People who live close to the 11-million-ton berg were evacuated to higher ground in the remote village of Innaarsuit on Friday. A rescue helicopter has been stationed nearby.
“We fear the iceberg could calve” — break up — and “send a flood toward the village,” Greenland police spokesman Lina Davidsen told news agency Ritzau.
There are concerns that a flood could disable the community’s power plant, which is on the coast.
Locals are hoping that a strong wind develops which would encourage the mountain of ice to drift away. However, heavy rain could encourage the iceberg to collapse, making the situation worse.
Large icebergs have drifted close to the community before, but villagers say this is the biggest they’ve ever seen.
The number of giant icebergs spotted along the Greenland coast has increased in the last few decades as climate change has taken hold. More icebergs are expected over the coming years, increasing the risk of coastal flooding.
