The deadliest glacial avalanche in the world

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2023

⏱️ 10 minutes

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Summary

On 31 May 1970, the Huascarán avalanche, caused by the Ancash earthquake, destroyed the town of Yungay, in Peru. Only 400 people, out of a population of 18,000, survived. A clown, named Cucharita, saved approximately 300 children, who were at a circus performance, by leading them to higher ground. Rachel Naylor speaks to his son, Christian Peña. (Photo: Statue of Christ at the cemetery overlooking Yungay, after the avalanche. Credit: Science Photo Library)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, welcome to the witness history podcast from the BBC World Service with me, Rachel
0:09.6	Naylor.
0:10.6	I'm taking you back more than 50 years to the deadliest glacial avalanche in history,
0:16.0	triggered by the Ancash earthquake, the Havaskaran avalanche destroyed a whole town in Peru.
0:21.1	I've been speaking to the son of a clown who saved 300 children.
0:30.1	It's the 31st of May 1970, and culturally to the clown is a new guy in Peru with the
0:35.8	Barrelina circus.
0:37.6	It's the first stop on that tour, he's preparing for the show and he's done his makeup.
0:41.1	They were about to start when suddenly the ground started to shake, and then up at the
0:50.2	Guarascan mountain, half of a snow-capped peak fell onto an artificial lake, and this
0:56.4	is what caused the landslide, which is what really put them in danger.
1:03.6	Loads of water, mud and rocks began to fall down the mountain, taking everything in their
1:10.4	path with them.
1:12.4	Luckily, the circus was taking place in the Fernandez Stadium, just outside John
1:18.8	Guy.
1:20.7	That's Kuturita's son, Christian Pena.
1:23.4	Kuturita means teaspoon, but his real name was Armando Pena.
1:27.8	The 7.9 magnitude earthquake, known as the Great Peruvian earthquake, struck the west coast
1:33.1	of Peru at 3.23 pm.
1:36.1	The worst affected areas were Ancash and Alibatad, but the tremors could be felt as far away
1:41.1	as Brazil.
1:42.1	But in young Guy, the worst was yet to come.
	...

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