Peru 1970: How One Avalanche BURIED 20,000 People

Peru 1970: How One Avalanche BURIED 20,000 People On May 31, 1970, a massive magnitude-7.9 earthquake off the coast of Peru triggered one of the deadliest avalanches in recorded history, burying the town of Yungay under millions of tons of ice, mud, and rock. A colossal slab of glacial ice broke free from Nevado Huascarán, reaching speeds of over 200 miles per hour and wiping out over 20,000 people in under three minutes. The 1970 Huascarán disaster remains the deadliest glacial avalanche ever recorded, reshaping how scientists and disaster planners approach mountain hazard monitoring. Today, the site of Yungay stands as a permanent national cemetery, a haunting reminder of the unstoppable destructive power of natural disasters. 00:00 - Yungay Before Disaster 01:03 - The 1970 Earthquake 01:54 - Avalanche Breaks Loose 02:44 - Hydroplaning at 200 MPH 03:28 - Yungay's False Safety 04:23 - Town Destroyed 05:49 - Aftermath & Legacy 07:16 - Memorial Today #Peru #Avalanche #NaturalDisaster #Huascaran #History