The Frank Slide was a massive rockslide that buried part of the mining town of Frank in the District of Alberta of the North-West Territories, Canada, at 4:10 a.m. on April 29, 1903. Around 44 million cubic metres/110 million tonnes of limestone rock broke off from, and slid down, Turtle Mountain. Witnesses reported that within 100 seconds the rock reached up the opposing hills, obliterating the eastern edge of Frank, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) line and parts of the coal mine. It was one of the largest landslides in Canadian history and remains the deadliest, as between 70 and 90 died, most of whom remain buried in the rubble. The cause of the slide is unknown but multiple factors may have helped cause the slide: Turtle Mountain's structural formation was unstable and had been for some time; coal mining operations may have weakened the mountain's internal structure; a wet winter and cold snap on the night of the disaster may have contributed.
A rockslide buried part of the Canadian mining town of Frank under 110 million tonnes of rock, killing around 70 people.
On April 29, in the year 1903, A rockslide buried part of the Canadian mining town of Frank under 110 million tonnes of rock, killing around 70 people. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of April 29, one of 350 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on April 29, 1903 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
- The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
- Wikipedia source last updated on 14 April 2026.
On This Date in History 350
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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