Vajont

The Vajont Dam was a large arch dam in northern Italy, completed in 1960. It is infamous for being the site of the Vajont disaster on October 9, 1963, in which a massive landslide of approximately 260 million cubic meters of rock and soil detached from Monte Toc and plunged into the reservoir behind the dam. This generated a megatsunami that overtopped the dam by approximately 250 meters (820 ft).

Although the dam itself remained largely intact, the wave completely destroyed the towns in the valley below, most notably Longarone. Estimates of the death toll range from 1,900 to 2,500 people.

The Vajont disaster is considered one of the worst man-made disasters in history. The disaster was largely attributed to negligence and misjudgment by the dam's builders and operators, who were aware of geological instability on Monte Toc and failed to adequately address the risk of a landslide. Several warnings and signs of impending danger were ignored in the years leading up to the catastrophe.

The disaster led to significant legal and ethical repercussions, highlighting the importance of geological surveys, risk assessment, and transparent communication in large engineering projects. It continues to serve as a cautionary tale for dam construction and management practices worldwide. The event has also been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and films.