Stava dam collapse

The Val di Stava Dam collapse occurred on July 19, 1985 when a tailings dam above the village of Stava, near Tesero, northern Italy, failed. It resulted in one of Italy's worst disasters, killing 268 people, destroying 62 buildings and demolishing 8 bridges.

The upper dam broke first, leading to the collapse of the lower dam. Around 200,000 cubic metres of mud, sand and water were released into the Rio di Stava valley and toward the village of Stava at a speed of 90 km/h. Having crashed through the village, the torrent continued until it reached the Avisio River a further 4.2 km away, destroying everything in its path.