The Vajont Dam Disaster
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La Diga del Vajont (No. 1 on the map) is one of the World's highest dams soaring 262 m after completion in 1959.
Only 4 years later, in 1963, it became the center of tragedy: On 9 October at 10:39 p.m., a massive landslide started on Monte Toc (No. 2) on the South side of the reservoir behind the dam. Huge amounts of earth, rock and trees fell into the water resulting in a 250 meter high wave overtopping the dam. The tsunami thundered through the Piave valley and destroyed everything in its path, incl. several cities. Longarone (No. 3) was hit the hardest only a few minutes after the landslide started. As the disaster happened in the early night, when most people were sleeping in their houses, about 350 families lost all members.
The total death toll was ≈ 2,500 people. The dam was largely undamaged, and still stands today, the reservoir filled with debris (No. 1). A burial ground was erected in Fortogna South of the city (No. 4). The memorial site is heartbreaking.
A 22 min reconstruction of the disaster may be seen at YouTube.
Then and now (Video)
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Duration ≈ 3.5 min.