Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
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Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#2The article says the Iraqi government has hired an Italian contractor to reinforce and maintain the dam. This presumably makes the massive-disaster scenario described in the Guardian's rather clickbaity headline somewhat less likely.
Edit: fair enough, it might not be as simple as just hiring some engineers to fix it; I hadn't considered the location. But still: when the news event that happened yesterday is that some engineers were hired to fix the dam, I think it's a bit disingenuous to therefore run a story with a headline saying "dam on brink of collapse, may kill one million."
Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#3[deleted]
Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#4The article says the Iraqi government has hired an Italian contractor to reinforce and maintain the dam. This presumably makes the massive-disaster scenario described in the Guardian's rather clickbaity headline somewhat less likely. Edit: fair enough, it might not be as simple as just hiring some engineers to fix it; I hadn't considered the location. But still: when the news event that happened yesterday is that som…
Not necessarily. Mosul is ISIS's stronghold and what happens if they don't take too kindly to the 450 Italian troops + workers over there working on the dam that's next to their main city?
It seems quite against their self-interests to stop the work, but you never know with this level of crazy.
Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#5The article says the Iraqi government has hired an Italian contractor to reinforce and maintain the dam. This presumably makes the massive-disaster scenario described in the Guardian's rather clickbaity headline somewhat less likely. Edit: fair enough, it might not be as simple as just hiring some engineers to fix it; I hadn't considered the location. But still: when the news event that happened yesterday is that som…
The problem is that the Italian contractor refuses to work unless the Italian army is allowed to send a unit to defend them. Last I'd heard, the Iraqi government is withholding their approval for this.
Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#6Drain it. Seriously.
Any other response is either unrealistically expensive/complicated or reckless.
Sure, the Italian company could maintain it if they aren't attacked by ISIS, but that is a big if when failure is immanent.
Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#7Drain it. Seriously. Any other response is either unrealistically expensive/complicated or reckless. Sure, the Italian company could maintain it if they aren't attacked by ISIS, but that is a big if when failure is immanent.
Remember that the sluice gates are seized. Obviously they should still drain it but it's not as simple as making the call.
Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#8The article says the Iraqi government has hired an Italian contractor to reinforce and maintain the dam. This presumably makes the massive-disaster scenario described in the Guardian's rather clickbaity headline somewhat less likely. Edit: fair enough, it might not be as simple as just hiring some engineers to fix it; I hadn't considered the location. But still: when the news event that happened yesterday is that som…
The problem is that the Italian contractor refuses to work unless the Italian army is allowed to send a unit to defend them. Last I'd heard, the Iraqi government is withholding their approval for this.
And the problem of getting workforce and the required plant to the location in the middle of a low level civil war.
Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#9This picture on wikipedia of the dam has a really beautiful contrast between the water and the land around it (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Mo...)
Also draws attention to the fact that there's a massive amount of water behind the dam.
edit: wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosul_Dam, to save you the effort of googling :)
Re: Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1M people
#10Drain it. Seriously. Any other response is either unrealistically expensive/complicated or reckless. Sure, the Italian company could maintain it if they aren't attacked by ISIS, but that is a big if when failure is immanent.
Remember that the sluice gates are seized. Obviously they should still drain it but it's not as simple as making the call.
How could they drain it?