How were people killed in the 1963 Vaiont Dam disaster?

A wave of water washed above the lake to Casso and Erto, communities above the reservoir, where the air blast and water destroyed buildings and caused at least 158 fatalities. Five downstream towns were destroyed including Longarone, Pirago, Rivalta, Villanova, and Fae.



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On 9 October 1963, during initial filling, a landslide caused a megatsunami in the lake in which 50,000,000 m3 (1.8×109 cu ft) of water overtopped the dam in a wave of 250 m (820 ft), which brought massive flooding and destruction to the Piave Valley below, leading to the destruction of several villages and towns, ...

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On October 9, 1963, at 10:39 pm, a part of the mountain from the top of Monte Toc, (north of Venice, in the Dolomites) slide into the reservoir below the Vajont dam and caused the water to rise up to 250 meters.

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The failure of the South Fork Dam, which affected Johnstown, is currently regarded as the worst dam failure in U.S. history. About eight miles to the east of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was where the South Fork Dam, a rock and earthen dam, was built.

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Banqiao Dam Failure (China, 1975) The Banqiao Dam failure is considered the deadliest dam disaster in history. Heavy rainfall caused the dam to collapse, leading to a catastrophic flood. The estimated death toll ranges from 26,000 to 171,000, with millions of people affected.

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The St. Francis Dam, created by the Los Angeles County Water and Power company as part of the California aqueduct system, collapsed at 11:58 pm on March 12, 1928, making it the was the worst manmade disaster in California history.

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Francis Dam in the San Francisquito Canyon. Nearby these haunting reminders, there is a sign: “On March 12, 1928, just before midnight, it collapsed and sent over twelve billion gallons of water roaring down the valley of the Santa Clara River. Over 450 lives were lost in this, one of California's greatest disasters.”

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