· yungay7020 ·

In 1970 an avalanche erased the colonial town of Yungay. A bunch of survivors fought for its rebuilding, just a kilometer away. Now they struggle with their memories, daily life and the menace of Peru’s highest peak, Huascarán, which provides them with water while threatening to crush them again.

In 1970 an avalanche erased the colonial town of Yungay. A bunch of survivors fought for its rebuilding, just a kilometer away. Now they struggle with their memories, daily life and the menace of Peru’s highest peak, Huascarán, which provides them with water while threatening to crush them again.

The survivors chat on a local radio station, in both Quechua and Spanish, shortly before the 50th anniversary of the tragedy. Their voices echo the past life of the town, as the new citizens try to progress and take advantage of the cemetery and the beauty of the snow-capped mountains, which attract many tourists.

The mountain, once sacred and now feared, speaks for itself. Those who still remember know they should pay attention. The ice breaks off, the earth trembles.