A CITY THAT VANISHED FROM THE MAPS 25 YEARS AGO IS NOW A GHOST TOWN WITH MYSTERIOUS SURVIVORS

 

It is often said that humans haven’t yet discovered endless secrets that lie under the marine life. There are old scriptures in different mythologies that claim of the cities that once existed on this planet but they vanished under these water bodies with time. Even today there are places like the famous Bermuda triangle and the mystery behind the strange phenomenon still remains unknown. While there are always myths and speculations, there exists a city that once drowned underwater and it now looks like a Ghost town. It is not a myth or a made up story. It all began in the 20th century and the traces of which are still visible and they have been captured and documented. Today, we bring you the story of a city that vanished from the globe for almost decades after facing a flood. Read till the very end as every little detail to this story will send chills down your spine.

Drowned Cities

The tales from various mythologies entails stories about cities that are hidden from the world as they had apparently drowned or submerged under water. Many theorists believe that these cities conceal priceless artifacts and invaluable treasures in them dating back to the time when the Mayan civilization prevailed on earth. But today we are going to shed light on a story which is no myth, it’s for real!

Mother Nature

When mother nature decides to strike and unleashes its anger upon us there isn’t much we can do about it. Thousands of people around the globe lose their lives after being victimized by various sorts of natural disasters. Take the 2004 tsunami for instance that affected various parts of southeast Asia, nearly destroying the cities it had hit. But can you imagine something of the magnitude that can drown a whole city and leave it submerged forever and vanish it from the map?

As Real As It Gets

As fictional it may sound, this an incident that happened for real and left everyone who witnessed this gruesome phenomenon in shock and despair. We aren’t fabricating anything up and have got proof as well in the face of various photographs that had been documented. We’ll be revealing some photographs that are a living proof of what a flood can do to an existing city. So prepare yourself for this unbelievable yet real story that will certainly leave you jaw dropped.

The Living Proof

Today, we bring to you the story along with some incredible pictures of a city that was once home to almost as much as 5,000 people. These pictures are proof that how cruel and terrifying nature can get and why we shouldn’t even dare or simply think about messing with it. Read further to find out how, when and where this astounding yet horrifying phenomenon took place. Spoiler: It’s somewhere in the South American continent.

Jaw-Dropping Story

Are you an Indiana Jones fan or have simply watched the movie or similar movies in the likes where the story revolves around the protagonist’s hunt for a lost or hidden city? Even if you have you can’t just guess what’s about to come as this story is one of its kind. Curious much? We won’t waste a minute so don’t go anywhere as things are about to pick up a pace real quick.

Villa Epecuen

Villa Epecuen was once a small yet exuberant city, full of life and just located about 340 miles South-West from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Not long ago, the city was a tourist trap as it attracted a lot of people back in the ’70s and early ’80s before it extinct. What made this place a cynosure for tourists was its renowned lake which the Argentinians called Lago Epecuen.

Lago Epecuen

Villa Epecuen is situated along the shore of a lake named Lago Epecuen. The salt lake is similar to any other mountain lake but there’s one significant difference that makes it extraordinary. The water body is just second to the Dead Sea when it comes to the salt levels. It was also found that the salt levels of Lago Epecuen are ten times the salt levels of any ocean. Although there’s an interesting story behind the higher levels of salt present in the lake that we are about to discuss.

A Myth

There are many stories related to famous historical places and this lake is no exception. It is said that the lake was created from the tears of a great Indian Chief after he started crying. The reason for the chief to shed gallons of tears and form a lake as big was that he had suffered the pain of losing his beloved. Love can do wonders! While the story is nothing but a myth, what’s not are the therapeutic powers of this lake. It is said that a bath in the lake is helpful in treating depression, anemia and a variety of other ailments.

Many Treasures

The city of Villa Epecuen was once a hub of valuable minerals. It was at the beginning of the 20th century when the mining began here. The minerals extracted were majorly used for glass production and medicinal purposes. Sulfates were loaded and sent to the capital for sale so people could enjoy a thermal bath in the bathrooms of their homes. The city had its very first resort opened in 1921 that attracted many tourists who visited Buenos Aires.

At Its Peak

The era of the ’60s and the ’70s marked a hike in the number of visitors who traveled to this city, the reason for which was the mineral-rich lake. The water in the lake was believed to treat a variety of ailments including several skin conditions, rheumatism, and even diabetes for that matter. What also helped improve tourism was the Ferrocarril Sarmiento train service that started in 1972 which made it easier for tourists to travel from Buenos Aires to Villa Epecuen. Almost as much as 20,000 tourists would visit the town each summer when the tourism was at its peak.

Family Resort

The city was deemed as the finest place in Argentina and the fact was acknowledged by the people who traveled to this beautiful city from different places around the globe to spend their vacations and have a nice time. Everything was perfect until 1985 when the so-called pride of the city, the exquisite lake Lago Epecuen became the reason for this city’s doom as it started to spill over the city.

Huge Flood

The lake Lago Epecuen kept building up water but there came a point when it had no space left in it to hold more water. It was when the lake started to overflow and the locals immediately packed their bags and left the city. The city that once boasted of enthusiastic tourists was now a no man’s land. The following picture will show you what the city of Villa Epecuen looked like after the flood.

When And How?

It was the November of 1985 that would change the face of this city and the lives of its citizens forever. When everyone least expected it to rain, the clouds gathered over the sky of Villa Epecuen and it rained like anything. Though it is believed that the years of downpour had aggravated the situation as the drainage system wasn’t up to the mark and passive management was to be blamed for it. A dam built to safeguard the town against any potential danger was ruptured on the day of November 10, 1985. The water levels in the city began to rise rapidly i.e. a centimeter per hour. Within two weeks the city was 3 meters deep underwater.

After The Flood

As it is clearly visible in this picture, the extremely beautiful city which was once a top tourist spot was now in a shambles.  Everyone had to evacuate the place and there was absolutely nothing the authorities could do to bring Villla Epecuen back to life. Keep scrolling to see how things used to be before the flood and the aftermath after the havoc the flood had caused.

Picture From The ’70s

The dramatic difference in these two pictures is the sad reality of Villa Epecuen. The photograph held by this man in his hands was clicked almost 5 decades ago in the 1970s. It’s almost unrecognizable. It looks almost as if these are the pictures of two different places. But you can count upon us, as these two pictures show the exact location of Villa Epecuen. A place once so exuberant and full of life is now nothing but a Ghost town. And where did all the things that the people left behind go? We’ll answer all these questions but one at a time is the way to go.

In Vain

More than 30 years have gone by but it only feels like yesterday to the survivors of the flood. Even though there were no casualties and not a single person had lost their life but the impact of the flood had left the victims traumatized, something they haven’t recovered from till date. How could they? They had lost everything, their homes, cars, jobs, businesses that too overnight. It was something they hadn’t imagined even in their worst nightmare but unfortunately, it was their reality that they had lived. The psychological toll it took on them might remain forever, particularly in the older inhabitants ho have spent a lifetime in Villa Epecuen who now struggles to adapt with their new life and their new world.

Time To Leave

Even in the ordinary times when we have to move out of our hoes and switch to a new place be it for a new job or better opportunities, we tend to feel low as there are a lot of sweet memories attached to a place. Imagine what would have gone through the citizens of Villa Epecuen when they had to leave their homes and their town in the wake of a flood that destroyed everything precious to them. Moreover, they had to move to a place they didn’t have good relations with.

A Difficult Move

It wasn’t a choice they made, it was their only choice left. At last, they had to evacuate the place unaware that they would never make it back again. It was the need of the situation and the residents were asked to seek refuge in the closest region to Villa Epecuen which happened to be Carhue. It was a difficult move as the relations between the people of these two places were cold. As Villa Epecuen was closer to the lake and enjoyed greater revenues in the face of tourism which indirectly strangled the growth and economy of Carhue, so the people in Carhue weren’t much welcoming.

Waters Start Decreasing

The city of Villa Epecuen was under water for more than 2 decades, and it was in 2009 when the water levels in the region first started to decrease. This image was released at the same time period i.e. 2009 that shows how devastating things were. It was in 1993 when the gradually growing flood completely took over the city covering it in water that stood 10 meters above the ground. It was too much for the city and its poor management to withstand or even make a comeback for that matter. If this image is too much for you to handle. What’s up next will blow your mind.

Survivors

The flood wreaked havoc on the city and there’s no denying that the city was in ruins. The tourists no more visit this place as there’s nothing left worth visiting. The only people to step foot into this town are those looking to recycle or retrieve lost items. There’s not a single family that thought of restarting their lives in the city and how would they as the city looks nothing short of a scrapyard and with no aid from the government their best option was to move on.

Permanent Resident

Judging by the pictures, the city looks like a gruesome crime scene or a city invaded by zombies or the aftermath of a war zone. But as we know, it is what nature does when it gets angry. By the looks of it, can you even imagine living here? We might not be able to spend a day here but to your surprise, there’s a man who actually lives here. Yes, without a family or even a dog to accompany him and it has been a long time since he has been living here.

Norma Berg

Norma Berg is an old man and he is the only resident of Villa Epecuen. He’s 81 years of age and you can see in the picture that he has built himself a kitchen and it is obvious that he spends his time alone. While living alone in a city that’s abandoned would definitely strike as odd to anyone normal but the old man is loving his time here, well he said so. You can read what he’s got to say about it.

Lone Resident

“I am OK here. I am just alone. I read the newspaper. And I always think of the town’s golden days”, Norma Borg said. By the looks of it, he had a lot of memories associated with the place as he had spent a lot of his time in Villa Epecuen during his youth and he wanted to re-live his past even if it means spending his life alone on a Ghost town. As strange it is, it also shows his love and determination for this place. But even the brave old man sometimes bumps into things that sends a chill down his spine.

End Of The World

Just think how strange it must get at times for Norma Berg as he is the only person living in the abandoned city of Villa Epecuen. Although it’s the choice he has made and he’s got to live with it but we must admit that he has quite a brave heart for an 81-year-old. The flowers you see resting over the skeleton were presented by Norma Berg when he accidentally bumped into this skeleton. The skeleton apparently floated out from the graveyard due to the flood and ended up here between the ruins.

The Life Now

“We woke up with water up to our ankles. We packed up what we could and left. Everyone just assumed it would be temporary,” explained Norma. “People had been preparing for months for the upcoming summer season. Many had invested time and money in new fixtures and remodelling work. Those who could took absolutely everything with them, from their personal belongings to the kitchen sink,” she added.

The Experience

“We woke up with water up to our ankles. We packed up what we could and left. Everyone just assumed it would be temporary,” Norma exclaimed. And why wouldn’t they? The people had put in all their money in new business ventures or to expand their already established work as they had been waiting for months for the summer season to come. Those who could take absolutely everything with them, from their personal belongings to the kitchen sink,” he added.

A Spa Break Destination

Norma now lives in Carhue, much like all the refugees who migrated to the city after the flood of 1985. Carhue is now famous for its reputation as a destination for spa breaks. The thermal water of lake Lago Epecuen is delivered to hotels in Carhue via lorries on a regular basis. At present, the lake Lago Epecuen has retrieved its mineral concentration and has 10 times the salt in comparison to a sea.

Grim Setting

The gloomy setting of the city makes Villa Epecuen the cynosure of many Hollywood movies. The city seems to be an ideal setting that serves a particular genre. Many production studios from Hollywood have filmed a lot of horror movies here in the city because of its appearance. Maybe you have even seen some of those movies and thought it was a set. Next up is the most famous movie which had been filmed here.

“And Soon The Darkness”

The most famous movie that was shot in this gloomy city is called “And Soon The Darkness” that starred Karl Urban. Unfortunately, these movie studios and the actors are the only visitors the city of Villa Epecuen gets to welcome these days. On a different note, the city also has a slaughterhouse, and does it look terrifying? Look for yourself…

The Slaughter House

Is there something scarier than a slaughterhouse? Yes, a ruined slaughterhouse that used to be hidden behind waters until now. Nonetheless, isn’t it incredible what happened to this thriving city? What’s scarier than a slaughterhouse? The answer is a slaughterhouse in ruins that was submerged under the lake until now.

Thriving City

The records state that Villa Epecuen had nearly 280 thriving businesses before the flood destroyed everything. The city was also home to 5,000 people more or less, but more people moved in during the summer season when tourists would pop up and made this place ideal for thriving businesses that served them and relied heavily on tourism. It was a big blow to the businesses that made money from the tourism offered by this place.

The Final Road

Villa Epecuen and its beautiful days are now a thing of the past. There are still regions which are partly submerged in water and the beautiful roads that once led to city’s eye-catching sight now leads into the water. The city will make its way to the history books as it is impossible for it to bounce back, as the authorities never made an effort to restore it and nor do they intend to. It’s a shame that this beautiful town had to meet with such a fate.

Floods

The story of this city is a living example of how a strike from nature can decimate the existence of life and leave it in ruins forever. We can only hope that the dams obstruct the lake and are able to prohibit it from pouring so an incidence in the likes of what happened in 1985 doesn’t repeat itself. Even today we come across news of various cities being affected by the flood but did you ever imagine something of this magnitude to be caused by a flood?

A New Generation

“It’s been a while since I visited my old house,” Norma said, as he pointed towards the place that once used to be his childhood home. “I was lucky enough, I had my whole life ahead of me when the flood took place. My children are Carhuénses and so are their children, they belong to the younger generation here who fortunately did not witness the tragedy and are not tarnished by what happened. Life goes on.” The old man said.

Planning A Visit

The town is still open for a visit. While you may not get to visit the resorts, the shores, the hotels or anything that existed in this city before 1985. You would have to take a walk on the chuckle-holed tracks, surrounded by horror-struck trees. The first sight that a traveler gets to hold is of a slaughterhouse designed by the architect Francisco Salamone. Don’t forget to visit the city’s museum which is a house to Villa Epecuen’s history. You would find weirdly interesting items like llama-wool jumpers, ponchos and record players which were retrieved from the city after 2009.