Deadly Mountain. Frank Slide, Alberta. DJI Drone (4 K)

In the early hours of April 29, 1903, 110 million tones of rock slipped off the eastern side of Turtle Mountain and onto the sleeping town of Frank, Alta. Those woken by the chaos heard what sounded like steam howling under high pressure, resonating 200 kilometers away to Cochrane, Alta. When the slide came to a halt just two minutes later, it had buried three square kilometers of the valley some 14 meters under - in some places as deep as 45 meters - homes, cottages, work camps, farms and businesses.
From above, the slide altered the skyline forever, splitting Turtle Mountain into two peaks. From below, it became the deadliest landslide in Canadian history. The death toll remains uncertain - estimates range between 70 and more than 90 - and only 18 bodies were recovered. Those cacophonous two minutes have defined Frank for 120 years, the coal town becoming colloquially known as Frank Slide.
Today, giant chunks of limestone line the highway built amid the rubble, above the bodies. Pull-outs along the road allow tourists to stop and take in nature’s disaster.