Huge Glacier Breaks Apart In Peru, Triggering Andes Tsunami (VIDEO)

A huge glacier broke apart in Peru, sending a block of ice into a lake in the Andes and triggering a tsunami wave, ITN reported.

From Reuters:

The ice block tumbled into a lake in the Andes Sunday near the town of Carhuaz, some 200 miles north of the capital, Lima. Three people were feared buried in debris.

Investigators said the chunk of ice from the Hualcan glacier measured 1,640 feet by 656 feet.

"This slide into the lake generated a tsunami wave, which breached the lake's levees, which are 23 metres high -- meaning the wave was 23 metres high," said Patricio Vaderrama, an expert on glaciers at Peru's Institute of Mine Engineers.

According to ITN, Peru is home to more than 70 percent of the world's tropical ice fields, and scientists predict that within 20 years warmer temperatures will melt them away altogether. This is the first sign of that ominous prediction, showing the devastating effect global warming will have on Peru.

WATCH ITN's full report: