In 1963, a landslide in Italy triggered two massive tsunamis that obliterated a village, breached a dam, and caused one of the largest man-made disasters in history.
A colossal mass of rock and earth, weighing approximately 250,000m3, descended at a speed of 96 km/h—three times faster than local authorities had estimated—into the enormous Vajont Reservoir below. This catastrophic event generated two gigantic waves: one headed towards the dam and the other towards the village of Erto, Italy. The first wave, moving at 48 km/h, engulfed farms and houses in its path, resulting in the deaths of most livestock and poultry.
The second tsunami struck the Vajont Dam, causing 275 million tons of water to spill over the edge and inundate the valley below, leading to the tragic loss of 2,000 lives.
