Natural wonder obliterated.

last updated 8 January 2015

Kronotsky, Russia

A huge landslide has buried Russia’s famous Valley of the Geysers. The valley, on Kamchatka Peninsula, contained about 90 geysers and a network of thermal pools, and was a popular tourist attraction. The mile–long landslide dumped millions of cubic yards of mud and stones over two–thirds of the valley—almost up to the door of the only hotel in the region. “The splendor of the valley has changed beyond recognition,” Kronotsky National Reserve director Natalya Radugova said. Experts predict that the valley, now naturally dammed, could become a thermal lake and continue to attract tourists.