Christ Statue in Yungay.

On May 31st, 1970, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 shook the Cordillera Blanca and the
valley below - the Callejón de Huaylas. The shock from the quake dislodged a huge mass of snow and
ice from the north summit of Huascarán (to the left in the distance), producing a massive
avalanche. Snow, ice, water and mud combined to form a debris flow; it cascaded downslope, growing
in volume and speed as it travelled. Within minutes the front wave rolled into the valley.
18,000 people living in the town of Yungay, found themselves in the path of the bullet, and
perished. A total of 70,000 deaths, and 250,000 casualties, were reported in the region from what
has been called the most tragic earthquake to strike the western hemisphere in recorded history.

The Christ statue in this photo stands atop the highest point in Yungay - the cemetery - the only
portion that wasn't covered by the debris. Today, the town has been rebuilt, it's people are
thriving, and the Christ statue opens it's arms toward Huascarán.