Human consequences
The village of Nizhny Karmadon is buried. The victims include the film crew of Sergei Bodrov Jr., a star of Russian cinema.
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Avalanche & landslideKolka Glacier collapse
125Deaths
Not quantifiedDisplaced / homeless
Not quantifiedEstimated cost
- About 125 to 140 dead and missing, including actor and director Sergei Bodrov Jr. and his film crew.
A large part of the Kolka Glacier, on the slopes of Mount Kazbek, collapses and races nearly 20 km down the Genaldon valley as an avalanche of ice and rock, before coming to a halt in the Karmadon gorge.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
About 100 million m³ of ice and debris block the gorge for kilometres and form threatening dammed lakes.
Economic consequences
Roads, houses and tourist facilities in the valley are destroyed.
Political consequences
One of the largest glacier collapses ever observed, it has become a case study for monitoring unstable glaciers.
Further reading
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