U.S. warns of Mosul Dam

collapse in Iraq

U.S. warns of Mosul Dam

collapse in Iraq

IRAQ

MOSUL DAM

Length:

Height:

Capacity:

3.4km

113m

Between 500,000 and

1.47m people along 482km

flood path could be killed

1,052MW

Tigris River

Risk area

FLOODING

TIMELINE

RESERVOIR

Length:

Capacity:

50km

TURKEY

IRAN

IRAQ

11bn cubic metres

Flood risk zone

Mosul

1-4 hours

Tigris River

Baiji

Mosul

Dam

Tikrit

1-2 days

Samarra

MOSUL

Mosul: Could be

inundated by up to

21m of water within

one to four hours

of dam collapse

IRAQ

Euphrates

100km

10km

Baghdad

3-4 days

60 miles

6 miles

3

Cavities need to be filled daily

with cement grout mixture

to prevent foundations

giving way

STRUCTURAL FLAW

1

Dam built in 1980s

on water-soluble

gypsum

MOSUL

DAM

Grout

pump

Maintenance

work disrupted

after militants

from so-called

Islamic State briefly

seized dam in 2014

2

Seepage

creates cavities

beneath dam

Sources: U.S. embassy in Iraq, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). Picture: Google/DigitalGlobe

Sources: U.S. embassy in Iraq, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). Picture: Google/DigitalGlobe

© GRAPHIC NEWS

© GRAPHIC NEWS

U.S. warns of Mosul Dam

collapse in Iraq

U.S. warns of Mosul Dam

collapse in Iraq

MOSUL DAM

Length:

Height:

Capacity:

3.4km

113m

1,052MW

IRAQ

RESERVOIR

Flood risk

zone

Length:

Capacity:

50km

IRAQ

11bn cubic metres

Tigris

River

Tigris River

Risk area

FLOODING

TIMELINE

TURKEY

IRAN

MOSUL

10km

6 miles

Mosul

1-4 hours

Baiji

Mosul: Could

be inundated

by up to 21m

of water within

one to four

hours of dam

collapse

Mosul

Dam

Tikrit

1-2 days

Samarra

IRAQ

Euphrates

100km

Baghdad

3-4 days

60 miles

Between 500,000 and 1.47m people along 482km

flood path could be killed

3

Cavities need to be filled

daily with cement grout

mixture to prevent

foundations

giving way

STRUCTURAL FLAW

1

Dam built in 1980s on

water-soluble gypsum

MOSUL

DAM

Grout

pump

2

Seepage creates

Maintenance work

disrupted after militants

from so-called Islamic

State briefly seized

dam in 2014

cavities beneath dam

Sources: U.S. embassy in Iraq, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). Picture: Google/DigitalGlobe

Sources: U.S. embassy in Iraq, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). Picture: Google/DigitalGlobe

© GRAPHIC NEWS

© GRAPHIC NEWS

U.S. warns of

Mosul Dam

collapse in Iraq

U.S. warns of

Mosul Dam

collapse in Iraq

The U.S. has warned of an unprecedented risk of the Mosul Dam collapsing and has urged people to be ready to evacuate. If the dam burst, floodwaters could kill 1.47 million Iraqis along the River Tigris

The U.S. has warned of an unprecedented risk of the Mosul Dam collapsing and has urged people to be ready to evacuate. If the dam burst, floodwaters could kill 1.47 million Iraqis along the River Tigris

Mosul: Could be inundated by

up to 21m of water within one

to four hours of dam collapse

Tigris

River

IRAQ

MOSUL

MOSUL DAM

Length:

Height:

Capacity:

3.4km

113m

1,052MW

10km

RESERVOIR

6 miles

Length:

Capacity:

50km

Flood risk

zone

11bn cubic metres

Between 500,000 and 1.47m people

along 482km flood path could be killed

FLOODING TIMELINE

Tigris River

Risk area

TURKEY

IRAN

100km

60 miles

Mosul

1-4 hours

Baiji

Mosul

Dam

Tikrit

1-2 days

IRAQ

Samarra

IRAQ

Baghdad

3-4 days

STRUCTURAL FLAW

1

Dam built in 1980s on

water-soluble gypsum

Grout

pump

MOSUL

DAM

2

Seepage creates

cavities beneath dam

3

Cavities need to be filled daily

with cement grout mixture to

prevent foundations giving way

Maintenance work disrupted after

militants from so-called Islamic

State briefly seized dam in 2014

Sources: U.S. embassy in Iraq, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). Picture: Google/DigitalGlobe

© GRAPHIC NEWS

Sources: U.S. embassy in Iraq, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). Picture: Google/DigitalGlobe

© GRAPHIC NEWS