Dam failure puts Roșia Montană at risk but half of residents refuse evacuation

A failure at the lake Tăul Mare dam is putting the Roșia Montană commune at risk of major flooding, but more than half of the residents whose houses are located downstream of the lake have so far refused preventive evacuation.

The risk of the Tăul Mare dam breaking was first noticed on Saturday afternoon, October 1. Officials saw an erosion 60 centimeters wide and almost 2 meters deep in the wall of the dam. Dating back to 1908, the dam had been certified as safe until the end of 2024, according to News.ro.

To lower the risk, firefighters began draining the lake using three high-capacity motor pumps and had managed to decrease water levels by 40 centimeters by Sunday evening. However, experts say that the danger has not yet passed, as the water level would have to be lowered by a total of 5 meters in order for the crack to be fixed.

As a result, local officials, representatives of the police, and the fire department went house-by-house to inform the people of the danger and convince them to leave.

Approximately 268 people live in houses that are at risk of flooding if the dam would give in. 126 people self-evacuated upon learning of the risk, but 137 refused to be moved. Another 5 locals were moved to dorms within the Abrud boarding school.

(Photo source: Mihai Gotiu on Facebook)