Lago di Pontesei is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in the Province of Belluno, Veneto, Italy. The dam originally formed a much larger area, which reached the confluence with the Maresón torrent in the Pónt of Péez.

Pontesei Landslide

, native_name_lang = it , english_name = , time = 7 , timezone = CET , duration = , date = , venue = , location = , coordinates = , also_known_as = , type =

Dam failure A dam failure or dam burst is a catastrophic type of structural failure characterized by the sudden, rapid, and uncontrolled release of impounded water or the likelihood of such an uncontrolled release. Between the years 2000 and 2009 more than ...

, motivation = , theme = , cause = Landslide , first_reporter = , filmed_by = , outcome = , casualties1 = , casualties2 = , casualties3 = , reported deaths = 1 (Arcangelo Tiziani) , reported injuries = , reported missing = 1 (the body was never found, it is the same person (Arcangelo Tiziani) that's also listed above as fatality) , reported property damage = , burial = , displaced = , inquiries = , inquest = , coroner = , arrests = , suspects = , accused = , convicted = , charges = , trial = , verdict = , convictions = , sentence = , litigation = , url = , website = , notes = Very similar to the later

Vajont Dam The Vajont Dam (or Vaiont Dam) is a disused dam in northern Italy. It is one of the tallest dams in the world, with a height of . It is in the valley of the Vajont River under Monte Toc, in the municipality of Erto e Casso, north of Venice. ...

breach Preceded by numerous warning signs, including the formation of cracks along the roadway bordering the reservoir, on the morning of March 22, 1959 a

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...

, with an estimated volume of about , it broke away from the slopes of Mount Castellin and Spiz, on the left bank of the lake, on a front of and fell in two to three minutes, partially filling the lake. Although the basin was below the full load level the landslide caused a wave that overcame the dam and overwhelmed Arcangelo Tiziani, a worker of a construction company, who was carrying out the construction of the power plant downstream of the dam, whose body was never found. The accident is considered to have foreshadowed the thanks to the similar way it unfolded, and, while the

was built in neighbouring

Longarone Longarone is a town and ''comune'' on the banks of the Piave in the province of Belluno, in northeast Italy. It is situated from Belluno. 4,642 people work all together in Longarone, which is 112.62% of the total population, with most actual in ...

, it was observed with great concern. The analyzes of the experts indicated that the collapsed material originally constituted a debris blanket, in some places even thick

Condition of the basin after the landslide

The rock collapsed, still clearly visible from the road, partially filled the basin (which until 1966 continued to be filled up to its maximum depth), forming a sort of promontory within the lake.

ENEL Enel S.p.A. is an Italian Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas. Enel, which originally stood for Ente nazionale per l'energia elettrica (National Electricity Board), was first established ...

significantly reduced its average load level for safety reasons, on the order of

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

after the 1966 flood.''Sulla pelle viva. Come si costruisce una catastrofe: il caso del Vajont'' by , Cierre Editions (2001), pp. 67-68,

References

Lakes of Veneto Artificial lakes of Italy Dam failures in Europe {{Europe-dam-stub