The Nepal disaster brings to mind the Vajont case: 63 years ago a giant landslide caused a catastrophe in the Italian Alps

The catastrophe that struck Nepal on August 26th evoked memories of a tragedy that occurred 63 years ago in the Italian Alps. The Vajont disaster, in 1963, resulted from a huge landslide that collapsed directly onto an artificial reservoir, creating a wave of water and debris that devastated entire villages and caused the death of nearly two thousand people. To this day, the scar left by the landslide on Monte Toc remains clearly visible in the landscape of the Italian Alps. The event in Nepal, which left hundreds of dead (a number that remains provisional) and caused serious damage, presented characteristics similar to the Italian disaster. The collapse of a large-altitude glacier triggered a landslide that, in turn, generated a devastating avalanche. A wave of water and debris dragged everything downstream, traveling many kilometers through the valley. The videos and images of the enormous wave of water, mud and debris advancing through the Nepalese valley immediately recalled what happened in the Italian Alps six decades ago, establishing a historical parallel between the two tragedies.