Events tagged with "tailings dam"

Historical Events tagged with "tailings dam"

Turns out history loves a label—battles, breakthroughs, and the occasional disaster, all neatly tagged for your browsing pleasure. Because sometimes you just need every weird invention in one place.

Natural Disasters

Earthquake Triggers Tailings Dam Failures in Chile

March 28th, 1965 59 years ago

A Mw 7.4 earthquake struck near the town of El Cobre, Chile, resulting in catastrophic tailings dam failures. The town, known for its copper mine, faced devastating consequences as the torrents of toxic sludge buried homes and infrastructure. Emergency responders faced critical challenges in locating survivors, leading to a tragic death toll of at least 500 individuals. The earthquake's occurrence brought attention to the dangers posed by mining operations in seismically active regions.