Landslide in Italy Claims More Than 2,000 Lives (1963)
One of the highest dams in the world, the Vaiont Dam was constructed on the Vaiont River about 60 mi (100 km) north of Venice, Italy. Two years after its completion, a massive landslide fell into its reservoir, causing the stored water to spill over the dam, sweeping away the village of Longarone and flooding several nearby towns. Some 2,000 people drowned. The dam itself surprisingly remained intact. In 2008, who cited the disaster as one of five “cautionary tales” for engineers and geologists? More… Discuss
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