The Tragic Story of the Malpasset Dam Disaster

Disaster

As with many tragedies, there had been a few warning signs before the Malpasset Dam collapsed. In November, a month before the event, workers noticed leaks and cracks, but no action was taken.

dam_02.jpg

Damages Caused By the Malpasset Dam Breaking at Freus in France on December 3Rd, 1959 (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

Then, on the evening of December 2, the dam was breached. The area had seen a large amount of rainfall that day, and the dam couldn’t cope with the pressure. A huge wall of water flushed through, wiping out two local villages and arriving in Fréjus. Roads and buildings were destroyed, and much of the city was flooded. The death toll came to 423, with dozens of others being injured. One hundred thirty-five of the victims were aged below 15.

© 2022 History by Day all rights reserved