Patagonia's Perito Moreno glacier puts on spectacular display as huge arch collapses

Chunks of Argentina's Perito Moreno glacier collapsed on Thursday 10 March, as large chunks of ice broke off and crashed into the water. The Patagonian glacier, known as the White Giant, is one of Argentina's biggest attractions. The river of ice, which is 18 miles long, ends in a sheer wall blocking Lago Argentino, where large pieces break off and tumble into the water from time to time.

Tourists and locals visited the site, located in the city El Calafate, in the Santa Cruz Province, in recent days, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare spectacle which began at 10.56am local time. Local media reported between 3,500 and 4,500 tourists were on the observation deck when the roof of an ice tunnel caved in.

The rupture occurred after partial break-ups began on 8 March, according to local media. The collapse seemed imminent in February. The glacier sheds ice roughly every four years and the last time big ice chunks fell off was 2012, but it could not be seen because it happened at dawn. Argentina's Glaciers Park is home to more than 200 glaciers and is the biggest continental ice extension in the world after Antarctica, according to the park's website.