Geotechnical News • June 2018
33
GEOHAZARDS
Dam/incident
Year
Location
Fatalities Details
2
Aznalcollar Mine
Tailings Dam
25 April
1998
Spain
0
Over-steepened dam failed by sliding on weak
clay foundation, releasing 4–5 million cubic
metres of acidic mine tailings into the River
Agrio, a tributary of the River Guadiamar, and
the main water source for the Doñana National
Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Vodní nádrž Soběnov
2002
Soběnov, Czech
Republic
Extreme rainfall during the 2002 European
floods.
Zeyzoun Dam
2002
Zeyzoun, Syria
22
Failed 4 June 2002 affecting 10,000.
Ringdijk Groot-
Mijdrecht(nl)
2003
Wilnis, Netherlands
Peat dam became lighter than water during
droughts and floated away.
Hope Mills Dam
2003
North
Carolina,
United States
0
Heavy rains caused earthen dam and bank to
wash away.
Big Bay Dam
2004
Mississippi,
United States
0
A small hole in the dam grew and eventually led
to failure.
Camará Dam
June 17,
2004
Paraiba, Brazil
3
Poor maintenance. 3,000 people homeless. A
second failure happened 11 days after.
Shakidor Dam
2005
Pakistan
70
Sudden and extreme flooding caused by severe
rain.
Taum Sauk reservoir
2005
Lesterville,
Missouri,
United States
0
Computer/operator error; gauges intended to
mark dam full were not respected; dam contin-
ued to fill. Minor leakages had also weakened
the wall through piping.
Campos Novos Dam 2006
Campos Novos,
Brazil
0
Tunnel collapse.
Gusau Dam
2006
Gusau, Nigeria
40
Heavy flooding.
Ka Loko Dam
2006
Kauai, Hawaii
7
Heavy rain and flooding.
Lake Delton
9 June
2008
Lake Delton,
Wisconsin
0
Failure due to June 2008 Midwest floods.
Koshi Barrage
2008
Kusha, Nepal
250
Heavy rain. The flood affected over 2.3
million people in the northern part of Bihar.
Algodões Dam
27 May
2009
Cocal, Piaui, Brazil 7
Heavy rain. 80 people injured, 2,000 homeless.
Sayano–Shushenskaya
Dam
17 August
2009
Sayanogorsk, Russia 75
Collapses when turbine 2 broke apart, flooding
the turbine hall and causing the ceiling to col-
lapse.
Situ Gintung
Dam
2009
Tangerang, Indo-
nesia
98
Poor maintenance and heavy rain.
Kyzyl-Agash Dam 2010
Kazakhstan
43
Heavy rain and snowmelt.
Hope Mills Dam
2010
North
Carolina,
United States
0
Sinkhole caused dam failure.
Delhi Dam
July 24,
2010
Iowa, United States 0
Heavy rain, flooding.
Niedow Dam
August 7,
2010
Lower Silesian
Voivodeship, Poland
Heavy rain, over-topped from flooding.
