Monte Toc, nicknamed The Walking Mountain by locals due to its tendency to experience landslides,[1] is a mountain on the border between Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Northern Italy. Its base is located next to the reservoir created by the Vajont Dam, which was built in 1960. In Friulian, the mountain's name is the abbreviation of "patoc", meaning "rotten" or "soggy".[2]

Monte Toc
The area of the 1963 landslide on Monte Toc, taken in 2005
Highest point
Elevation1,921 m (6,302 ft)
Coordinates46°14′N 12°20′E / 46.233°N 12.333°E / 46.233; 12.333
Geography
Monte Toc is located in Alps
Monte Toc
Monte Toc
Location in the Alps
LocationPordenone, Italy
Parent rangeVenetian Prealps

On October 9, 1963, 260 million cubic metres[3] of rock slid down the side of Mount Toc and plunged into the reservoir created by the Vajont Dam, causing a megatsunami 250 metres high over the dam wall and destroying the town of Longarone and its suburbs.[3][4] 1,918 people were killed, 1,450 of whom were in Longarone.

References

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  1. ^ "'Mountain that walks': horrific truth behind dam lies". The Australian. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Today the forty-fifth anniversary - Vajont, the wall of water that killed Longarone". La Stampa. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b Petley, Dave (Professor) (2008-12-11). "The Vaiont (Vajont) landslide of 1963". The Landslide Blog. Archived from the original on 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  4. ^ Duff, Mark (2013-10-10). "Italy Vajont anniversary: Night of the 'tsunami'". BBC News. Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
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