The catastrophic 1975 collapse of China's Banqiao Dam remained a state secret for years.

In August 1975, a massive typhoon triggered the failure of the Banqiao Dam, resulting in a devastating flood across Henan Province. This video examines the technical causes of the disaster and the political environment that led to the event being suppressed for over a decade.

The collapse of the Banqiao Dam during the Cultural Revolution was a tragedy of immense proportions, with estimates suggesting 230,000 people lost their lives. The disaster was caused by a storm described as a ten thousand year event, which overwhelmed the structure and released a catastrophic flood across the region.

Despite the scale of the destruction, the Chinese Communist Party maintained a strict cover-up of the incident. The reality of the collapse did not reach widespread public awareness until 1987, when a state reporter finally published a book detailing the event. The video explores the mechanics behind the failure and the lessons that remain relevant today.

Source: How the Banqiao Dam Failed