Devastating Landslides

Description

When vast amounts of rock, earth and mud pour downhill, landslides destroy whole towns and villages. In 1968, 20,000 people lost their lives in Peru as the side of a mountain broke free; and in 1985, a massive mudslide triggered by a volcano in Columbia claimed at least 23,000 victims. More than 30,000 people were killed when a strip of Venezuelan coastline was devastated by a 50-foot-high tide of mud and rock. Landslides are less frequent in Europe, but in 1966, a coal slag heap in south Wales suddenly gave way and engulfed the village of Aberfan, killing more than 100 children. This film examines geological, development, and climate factors contributing to landslides and explains why little can be done to prevent them.

Runtime

46 min 35 sec

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Geography

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