The Zeyzoun Dam is a
failed embankment dam near
Zayzun,
Hama Governorate, Syria. It impounded water pumped from the nearby
Orontes River. The dam was completed in 1996 and its primary purpose was the irrigation of about . The dam's reservoir was filled in the winter and expended its water during the summer.
The dam failed on 4 June 2002, killing 27 people, displacing 2,000 and directly affecting over 10,000. Hours before the dam failed, in the afternoon, cracks were noticed in the embankment. People were evacuated as water began to pour through the cracks. The water eventually breached an wide hole in the dam which released a tall wave of water. The water engulfed , destroying 251 homes and damaging hundreds of others. Several International organizations,
non-government organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...
s and nations sent aid.
[ Reportedly, Syrian officials had ignored warnings that the dam was in need of serious repair.]
See also
*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 ...
References
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2002 disasters in Syria
Dams in Syria
Dam failures
2002 industrial disasters
Dams completed in 1996
Buildings and structures in Hama Governorate
Al-Ghab Plain
2002 in Syria