“Today we remember the tragic Vajont disaster, a deep wound in our history. Almost 2000 people were killed, entire villages were swept away,” said Meloni.
“It is a tragedy that could and should have been avoided,” she added.
“60 years later, the memory of Vajont remains a warning for all of us.
“We must not forget the cost of human irresponsibility on that terrible night of 9 October 1963 to a community that was fully aware of the risks, but was not listened to,” continued Meloni.
“In memory of that terrible tragedy, we are committed to ensuring that similar events are never repeated in our country.
“In memory of the Vajont victims, we will continue to work for a safer Italy,” she said.
The inhabitants of Longarone and other villages in the Piave valley below the Vajont dam on the border of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia had just four minutes to try to find safety after a landslide on Mount Toc upstream of the reservoir triggered a massive tidal wave that swamped the area below.
“For us it was like the end of the world. An event such as that cannot be described. Only those who were there can understand,” said Italo Filippin, 79, the former mayor of Erto and Casso.
“Only at dawn did we realise what had happened,” he added.
Officially 1910 people, including 487 minors under the age of 15, died in the disaster that had been preceded by numerous warnings of impending danger, but which were largely ignored.
ANSA
