Massive iceberg threatens Greenland village with tsunami

In this Thursday, July 12, 2018 photo, a view of an Iceberg, near the village Innaarsuit, on the northwestern Greenlandic coast. Scientists have watched the four-mile-long iceberg break off from a glacier. The iceberg is reportedly grounded on the seafloor. Residents of houses near the shore have reportedly evacuated to higher ground fearing ice breaking off from the iceberg could cause a tsunami. AP

BERLIN, Germany — 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.”

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. /cbb