When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks Residents of the coastal village of Innaarsuit were evacuated on Friday morning, according to Greenland police spokeswoman Lina Davidson. She said: “Its residents were evacuated in the early hours of Friday in fears that a flood would hit the place as a result of the broken iceberg. “All the people in the danger area have been evacuated to a building that is further up in the village. The evacuation happened only because the iceberg is so close to the village. “We fear the iceberg could calve and send a flood towards the village.’<doc-sep>An 11-million-ton iceberg has lodged dangerously close to a tiny coastal village in Greenland. If it breaks apart, enormous waves generated by the falling ice could wash away parts of the town. For the 169 residents of Innaarsuit, their fate may depend entirely on the weather. Strong winds could dislodge the iceberg and send it harmlessly out to sea. But enough rain could make the iceberg more likely to break apart, potentially generating destructive waves. At 650 feet wide and rising nearly 300 feet above sea level, according to the New York Times, the iceberg is the biggest many residents of Innaarsuit have ever seen. “We are very concerned and are afraid,” Karl Petersen, chair for the local council in Innaarsuit, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Thirty three people have been evacuated inland to higher ground, while others have been told to move their boats away from the iceberg, reported the Washington Post. Especially worrying is the fact that Innaarsuit’s power plant is on the coast. Massive waves or rising water could shut off power for the entire village. Relatively isolated, Innaarsuit is located about 600 miles north of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The town is most easily accessible by boat or helicopter, and most of the residents are hunters and fishermen. “We can feel the concern among the residents,” Susanna Eliasson, a member of the village council, told the CBC. “We are used to big icebergs, but we haven’t seen such a big one before.” A Danish Royal Navy ship is standing by should the villagers need assistance, reported the CBC. For now, the residents of Innaarsuit can do little else but wait and watch the weather. The future of their town may depend on the forecast. Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Write to Alejandro de la Garza at alejandro.delagarza@time.com.<doc-sep>
Big cracks in the iceberg raise fear that it could break. LONDON -- A massive iceberg that has been floating close to a village in Greenland and threatening its residents appears to be veering away from the coast, toward the north, officials said. The village of Innaarsuit is home to 169 residents, some of whom have been evacuated as the iceberg looms over the coast. “Fortunately, the iceberg moved further north over the weekend,” Jakob Rousøe, head of operations for Joint Arctic Command, an authority within the Danish Defense, which is supporting local police and emergency services. “Powerful wind from the south and a current headed north pushed the iceberg to the north.” It is not clear if the iceberg will continue to move north or if it could move back closer to the village. As the iceberg melts, the fear is that gravity will cause a big chunk of it to break free, or that it will tip over, which could cause a huge wave to wash over the village, Rousøe explained. “There are big cracks in the iceberg, which could indicate that it could break,” he said. Joint Arctic Command has sent an inspection vessel and a surveillance aircraft to the area. Rousøe said he is now waiting for more detailed information about what kind of threat the iceberg might pose from experts who are examining it. The residents of the village are used to icebergs floating by, but they are not usually as big as this one, he said.