Yungay was completely destroyed in 1970 by an earthquake and avalanche all at the same time killing more than 20,000 people. Six to ten meters of dirt, rocks and ice covered the town in about 5 minutes. A large boulder smashed into the church tower of the buried church, destroying it.On the edge of town there was (and still is) a stadium that was full of young people at the time. They lost their homes and their families in that fateful five minutes.The Centenario in the town was partly buried on one side but the Jesus statue on top remains to this day.Dad Philip was part of a Canadian relief effort as a pilot who flew supplies into this area. Bill remembers seeing some pictures from his dad’s mission.The Peruvian Government declared the town a cemetery and did not allow it to be excavated.Many relatives have placed monuments where their families homes once stood..
