Illorsuit
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Illorsuit | |
|---|---|
  Illorsuit Location within Greenland | |
| Coordinates: 71°14′30″N 53°34′00″W / 71.24167°N 53.56667°W | |
| Sovereign state |  Kingdom of Denmark |
| Autonomous country |  Greenland |
| Municipality | Avannaata |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-03 |
| Postal code | 3961 Uummannaq |
Illorsuit (Greenlandic pronunciation: [iɬːɔsːuit]; old spelling: Igdlorssuit) is a former settlement in Avannaata municipality, in western Greenland. Located on the northeastern shore of Illorsuit Island − northwest of Uummannaq at the mouth of the Uummannaq Fjord − the settlement had 91 inhabitants in 2010.[1] It was abandoned in 2018.
On 17 June 2017, a landslide measuring 300 m × 1,100 m (980 ft × 3,610 ft) fell about 1,000 m (3,280 ft) into Karrat Fjord, generating a megatsunami that hit Nuugaatsiaq.[2][3][4]
Initially it was unclear if the landslide was caused by a small earthquake (magnitude 4),[2][5] but later it was confirmed that the landslide had caused the tremors.[3] The tsunami had an initial height of 90 to 100 m (295 to 328 ft), but it was significantly lower once it hit Nuugaatsiaq, where it had a run-up height of 9 metres (30 ft).[3][4]
Four people were killed and nine were injured at Nuugaatsiaq, and eleven buildings were washed into the water.[2][3][4][5][6] Illorsuit also suffered tsunami damage.[7] An evacuation of 170 residents of Illorsuit and Nuugaatsiaq followed because of a danger of additional landslides and waves.[4][8]
Illorsuit was abandoned in 2018, and as of March 2023, both llorsuit and Nuugaatsiaq remained uninhabited due to the continuing threat of landslide-generated tsunamis.[9]
Transport
Prior to Illorsuit′s abandonment, Air Greenland served the village as part of government contract, with mostly cargo helicopter flights from Illorsuit Heliport to Nuugaatsiaq and Uummannaq.[10]
