The Banqiao and Shimantan Dam Failures: Factors Affecting the Warning and Evacuation Success

Banqiao Dam (pronounced ban chow), Shimantan (pronounced she mon tan) Dam, and 60 other dams failed in Henan Province, China, in August 1975. Information on these failures remained hidden from the outside world for two decades. These failures resulted in the largest loss of life ever from any dam failure, with fatality estimates ranging from 26,000 to 230,000. More than 10 million people were impacted by the floods, and 5,240,000 houses collapsed. Why did the dam failures occur and why did so many people die? Could a similar event occur in the United States or in other developed countries? 10 pp., 19 references.