10 years since the landslide in Log pod Mangartom

Locals are largely satisfied with the state's assistance, which after the disaster, when a large part of the village was buried by a landslide in the night of 17 November 2000, claiming seven lives, allocated 22.5 million euros for remediation and reconstruction. Another nine million will be needed to complete all planned measures. In total, six buildings were destroyed and 23 damaged.

Drago Černuta says that in the village, thanks to all the regulations and alarm systems carried out, they now sleep peacefully even after several days of rain, only older people retain a bad aftertaste and memory of that fateful night when a huge mass of earth broke loose from the slope under Stovže into the bed of the Mangartski potok and then rushed with great speed through the Predelnica and Koritnica valleys into the village. Two days earlier, a smaller landslide had occurred in the area, so the competent services evacuated the most endangered people. Some, however, refused to leave, which was fatal for them.

New buildings for sale
Two of the newly built replacement houses are indeed for sale, confirms Černuta. "Apparently the heirs do not intend to live in the village," he believes. Living conditions in this part of the country are harsh, and the landslide has made the situation even more difficult. Nevertheless, there has been no mass exodus, he adds, hoping that such a tragedy will not happen again.

On the anniversary, several events will take place in the village today. At 17:00, Koper Bishop Metod Pirih will lead a memorial mass in the local church, followed by the blessing of a memorial dedicated to the seven deceased locals buried by the landslide. The evening will conclude with a cultural programme featuring a recital presenting excerpts from the book Sanje nikoli ne umrejo by local author Jani Mlekuž, who in this fictional prose work tells the story of Log pod Mangartom and the seven deceased locals.

They did not want to evacuate
A few minutes after midnight on 17 November 2000, a huge amount of water-soaked earth crashed into the bed of the Mangartski potok, then rushed with great speed through Predelnica and Koritnica towards the village. Two days earlier, a smaller landslide had occurred in the area, so the competent services evacuated the most endangered people. Some, however, refused to leave, which was fatal for them.

Source: www.zurnal24.si