On May 31, 1970, tragedy struck Peru when a devastating earthquake measuring 7.9 magnitude hit the Ancash region. The powerful tremor triggered a massive avalanche from the north face of Mount Huascarán, unleashing a deadly cascade of rock, ice, and mud that thundered down the mountain at terrifying speed.
Within moments, the avalanche buried the town of Yungay and nearby Ranrahirca under hundreds of feet of debris. Homes, churches, schools, and entire neighborhoods were swallowed in the blink of an eye. Estimates suggest that around 18,000 people lost their lives in Yungay and its surrounding settlements, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in Peruvian history.
The destruction was swift and merciless. Most residents had no time to escape. Only a small number of survivors managed to reach higher ground—some found refuge in the town’s hillside cemetery, others in open fields that escaped the avalanche’s path.
In the aftermath, the Peruvian government declared the original site of Yungay a sacred cemetery. Survivors and authorities later rebuilt the town on safer ground a few kilometers away, leaving the old site as a solemn reminder of the lives lost.
Today, Yungay stands not only as a town reborn but also as a place of remembrance. The disaster remains etched in national memory as a powerful reminder of nature’s destructive force and the resilience of those who endured.
