Memorial for Flateyri avalanche victims
Photo taken at the memorial service last night at Flateyri church. Photo/ Páll Önundarsson
Yesterday, October 26th marked twenty years since the avalanche that fell on the small town of Flateyri in the West Fjords. Twenty people perished in the tragedy.
The villagers of Flateyri hosted a memorial sercive yesterday where several artists performed.
The avalanche in Flateyri in October 1995 and the previous avalanche which fell on Súðavík, also in the West Fjords are undoubtedly the most difficult scenes that Icelandic rescue teams have encountered.
"The avalanche is something one will never forget," says Jón Svanberg Hjartarson at the Landsbjörg union of rescue teams who lived in Flateyri at the time of the tragedy and worked as a rescue team member and police officer. "That night, when the avalanche fell, all uf us rescue team members started knocking on doors to get people to help us. Everyone helped. For the first five hours we received no outside help."
The avalanche in Flateyri fell on nineteen houses at 4 am twenty years ago. Inside, there were forty-five people. Four people were found alive in the ruins and 21 were able to get out by themselves or with the help of neighbours.
Four children, the youngest aged only one years old were killed in the tragedy.
Several lectures took place over the weekend and in the next few days on the effects of shock and tragedy on communities.
Last night, singer/ songwriter KK joined members of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at Flateyri church for the memorial service. Vicar Fjölnir Ásbjörnsson said to mbl.is this morning that the moment was precious. "We were of course remembering those who died and honouring their memory, but we were also thinking of those who were saved and those who helped us when we needed help."
In 1995 when the avalanche hit Flateyri, 379 people lived there and now only 206 inhabitants remain. The accompanying photographs in black and white were taken by renowned Morgunblaðið photographer Ragnar Axelsson who went to Flateyri in the aftermath of the tragedy.
The Icelandic flag flow at half staff in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Flateyri in 1995. Rax / Ragnar Axelsson
Rescue team workers in 1995. Twenty people died in the avalanche, including four young children. Rax / Ragnar Axelsson
Images captured by Morgunblaðið photographer Ragnar Axelsson at the time of the tragic events. Rax / Ragnar Axelsson
