ARGENTINA (REUTERS) - The Patagonian glacier known as the "White Giant" is one of Argentina's biggest attractions. The 30 km long river of ice ends in a sheer wall blocking Lago Argentino, where large pieces tumble into the water from time to time.

Tourists and locals visited the site, located in the city El Calafate, in the Santa Cruz Province, in recent days, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare spectacle.

The rupture on Thursday (March 10) occurred after partial break-ups began on Tuesday (March 8), according to local media. The collapse seemed imminent in February.

The glacier sheds ice roughly every four years, and the last time big ice chunks fell off was 2012, but it could not be seen because it happened at dawn.

Argentina's Glaciers Park is home to more than 200 glaciers and is the biggest continental ice extension in the world after Antarctica, according to the park's website.