Ice floats 11 million tons

An 11 million-ton iceberg is 'mooring' close to the small village on Innaarsuit Island - Northwest Greenland, threatening the lives of 169 people here.

Currently, the fate of these people depends on the weather. If a strong breeze rises at the right time, the ice sheet can drift away in the direction of Baffin Bay without causing any damage.

However, if Mother Nature carries rain and the climate is warm enough, this ice sheet can melt. At that time, some of the water from it would flow into the sea and the rest would pour into the village just like a tsunami struck, causing serious damage.

"We are very worried and scared" - Karl Petersen, local council president on Innaarsui island, told media Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

The iceberg is superior in size to the houses on Innaarsuit Island.(Photo: Washington Post).

To date, 33 people have evacuated to safer places in the mainland. The rest are being recommended to leave the iceberg.

Innaarsuit is about 966 km from the capital of Nuuk - Greenland. The villagers here are mainly hunters and fishermen. They live in an isolated area but are easily accessible by boat and helicopter.

According to the New York Times (USA), the ice sheet weighs 11 million tons, nearly the width of two football fields and emerges 91m above the sea. The photos shared online show that their size is too big for the houses on Innaarsuit Island.

The last time people on an island in Greeland felt the power of mother nature was in June. At that time, an earthquake that only hit level 4.1 attacked Nuugaatsiaq Island but was able to cause a tsunami to sweep 11 houses and kill 4 people.

"The tsunamis caused by landslides in the gulf regions can reach terrific heights, move at tremendous speeds and have tremendous destructive power" - according to Quartz.

Innaarsuit Island residents are watching the weather closely. It is predicted that relatively light winds will appear next week. By 7-22, heaven is likely to rain.