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Incredible photo shows 'iceberg tsunami' threat against tiny village

An iceberg the size of a hill has drifted close to a tiny village on the western coast of Greenland, causing fear it could swamp the settlement with a tsunami if it calves.

The iceberg, which is 6km wide, towers over houses on a promontory in the village of Innaarsuit but it is grounded and has not moved overnight, state broadcaster KNR reported.

A danger zone close to the coast has been evacuated and people have been moved further up a steep slope where the settlement lies, a Greenland police spokesman told Reuters.

The 6km iceberg at the Greenland town of Innaarsuit. Source: AAP
The 6km iceberg at the Greenland town of Innaarsuit. Source: AAP

We can feel the concern among the residents. We are used to big icebergs, but we haven’t seen such a big one before,” Susanna Eliassen, a member of the village council in Innaarsuit, told KNR.

The government and police are on high alert and have moved a search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopter closer to the remote village with about 170 inhabitants.

Residents are concerned with a danger zone close to the coast line established, Source: Reuters
Residents are concerned with a danger zone close to the coast line established, Source: Reuters

New York University professor David Holland, an expert in atmospheric and ocean science, told The Associated Press “this is the largest event we’ve seen in over a decade in Greenland”.

Last summer, four people died after waves swamped a settlement in northwestern Greenland.

With Associated Press and Reuters