VAJONT - A dip from the dam

The Vajont Dam is a disused dam in northern Italy. It is one of the tallest dams in the world, with a height of 262 m (860 feet). It is situated in the valley of the Vajont River under Monte Toc, in the municipality of Erto e Casso, 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Venice. On 9 October 1963, during initial filling, a landslide caused a megatsunami in the lake in which 50 million cubic metres of water overtopped the dam in a wave of 250 metres (820 ft), which brought massive flooding and destruction to the Piave Valley below, leading to the complete destruction of several villages and towns, and between 1,900 and 2,500 estimated deaths. The dam itself remained almost intact and two thirds of the water was retained behind it.