1996 Arinsal Avalanche Buries Village, No Fatalities Thanks to Evacuations

On 8 February 1996, an enormous avalanche struck Arinsal, burying parts of the village in snow but causing no fatalities thanks to swift emergency response and preventive evacuations.

The avalanche released around 2 billion cubic metres of snow from an elevation of about 2,900 metres, racing down at speeds of up to 200 km/h. Heavy prior snowfall combined with a sudden temperature rise triggered the event, which followed a smaller slide earlier that day.

Emergency teams had inspected the area after the initial avalanche, particularly around the Fonts zone, where high risk was detected. This prompted the immediate evacuation of 180 residents from the Amadeus and Prats Sobirats buildings, as well as apartments at the base of the chairlift. "Within the disaster, we're glad there were no victims," said Amadeu Gelabert, who was a councillor at the time.

Manel Pelegrina, now chief police inspector but then part of the mountain rescue group, led early checks to ensure no one was buried. Òscar Santos, a firefighter at the time, recalled probing the site post-small avalanche and returning to base just before the major one hit. "We're very proud of the police work that day," Pelegrina said.

As teams secured the area late into the night, only a two-officer police patrol remained to block access. Officers Xavier Surana and his partner narrowly escaped disaster. Surana's colleague had just returned from fetching coffee when a deafening roar signalled the avalanche. Their jeep rocked violently amid snow and tumbling tree trunks; snow poured through a slightly open window, filling the cabin. They crouched inside rather than fleeing, emerging unscathed into eerie silence. "It was pure luck," Surana recounted. The nearby residence they had visited was pummelled, its entrance wrecked.

Dawn revealed the full devastation: buildings partially submerged, one collapsed, vehicles crushed. "The scene was surreal," Pelegrina described. No injuries occurred, a point all responders emphasised with pride despite some contemporary criticism over forecasting.

Post-event efforts focused on damage assessments, lasting months. Police identified buried vehicles, leading to one arrest after drugs were found inside a car. Another case involved a resident claiming lost jewellery in an affected flat, which officers could never locate—possibly lost in the chaos or an insurance ploy.

The incident remains etched in local memory, underscoring effective coordination by police, firefighters and the La Massana commune. Gelabert noted the timing was critical: shortly after evacuation, the consul called to report the big slide had occurred.