The Vajont Dam Disaster: World's Tallest Dam Survives—250 Million Tons Don't

October 9, 1963. Northern Italy. Vajont Dam—one of world's tallest—fills reservoir.

Engineers ignore landslide warnings from unstable Mt. Toc above.

10:39 PM. 260 million cubic meters of rock collapse into lake at 100 km/h.

Creates 250-meter megatsunami. Water clears 820-foot dam intact, thunders into Piave Valley.

Longarone village erased. 1,900-2,500 dead. Entire families gone.

Dam stands empty. World's first "successful dam failure."

HistMuse reveals engineering arrogance that weaponized water against its builders.