1975 Banqiao dam burst in Henan, the worst technological disaster in the world so far

[Kenny同志]

The disaster, which claimed about 240,000 lives according to some sources, had been kept as a top state secret for a good period of time of 30 years till 2005. Before that, the disaster was rarely known to people.

It’s things like this that make you marvel at what a government can be capable of doing.

Sources:

人民網

天涯論壇

Quoted from another Tianya thread:

我叔是当时北京警卫师的，他是去抢险幸存的几十个人中的一人，听说第一次派一个师去一个人都没剩下，他们去也只剩下几十个人而已。他们吃的水都泡着尸体的，每次跟我谈这件事他就非常激动，听说那雨大得可怕，只要把一个盆子往外一伸，雨就可以装满整整理一盆。可惜他老人家回来没什么工作单位，现在跟着农民工在外做苦力。

听说应该死了三十多万。

[jbradfor]

I hadn't heard of it, but it is discussed in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banqiao_Dam

The rainfall that caused the failure is pretty amazing: "1060 mm per day" (I assume 1060 in a 24 hour period? Not the same thing!). The government's response also was lacking, which I guess it the reason they made it secret. Or maybe they didn't want people to fear (and hence protest against) more dam construction?

[Gharial]

IIRC, I first read about the Banqiao disaster in Simon Winchster's The River at the Centre of the World, published in 1997. I doubt if it was available much if at all in China though LOL.

[frankwall]

I never knew about that. 11 million homes destroyed on top of the people killed...Terrifying.