US warns citizens over possible collapse of Mosul Dam
The United States warned its citizen on Monday to be ready to leave Iraq following an earlier announcement by the country's officials that said the largest hydro-electric dam of Mosul could collapse.
“We have no specific information that indicates when a breach might occur, but out of an abundance of caution, we would like to underscore that advance preparation and contingency plans for prompt evacuation offers the most effective tool to ensure safety,” the US security message, that was published on the US Embassy website in Baghdad, warned.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said on Sunday precautions were being taken by Baghdad, but the likelihood of the collapse is "extremely small".
The statement said in case of the dam collapse the city of Mosul, which is under the control of Islamic State group, could be flooded by up to 21 meters of water in the first hours of breach.
Tikrit, Samarra and the Iraqi capital of Baghdad are also among the cities that would be heavily flooded.
“The Embassy would be extremely limited in its ability to assist in the event of a crisis,” the statement added.
It also asked the US citizens to take several personal steps in order to get prepared for the event including updating their traveling documents and called them to stay informed about the issue.
“While it is impossible to accurately predict the likelihood of the dam failing, the Embassy has made contingency plans to relocate its personnel in such an event.”
The Islamic State managed to capture the dam in July 2014 when the group seized Iraq's second largest city Mosul, but the Kurdish Peshmerga reclaimed the dam soon after despite the dam still being in the militants’ hands.
In the case of the dam’s collapse, the resultant flood would be life-threatening to humans, animals and agriculture in the Nineveh, Kirkuk and Salahaddin provinces.
Mosul Dam, once called Saddam Dam, was constructed in 1983. It is located on the Tigris River in the western province of Nineveh, upstream from the city of Mosul. It is the fourth-largest reservoir in the Arab world, with a capacity of about 8 billion cubic meters, and provides electricity to 1.7 million residents in Mosul.
“We have no specific information that indicates when a breach might occur, but out of an abundance of caution, we would like to underscore that advance preparation and contingency plans for prompt evacuation offers the most effective tool to ensure safety,” the US security message, that was published on the US Embassy website in Baghdad, warned.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said on Sunday precautions were being taken by Baghdad, but the likelihood of the collapse is "extremely small".
The statement said in case of the dam collapse the city of Mosul, which is under the control of Islamic State group, could be flooded by up to 21 meters of water in the first hours of breach.
Tikrit, Samarra and the Iraqi capital of Baghdad are also among the cities that would be heavily flooded.
“The Embassy would be extremely limited in its ability to assist in the event of a crisis,” the statement added.
It also asked the US citizens to take several personal steps in order to get prepared for the event including updating their traveling documents and called them to stay informed about the issue.
“While it is impossible to accurately predict the likelihood of the dam failing, the Embassy has made contingency plans to relocate its personnel in such an event.”
The Islamic State managed to capture the dam in July 2014 when the group seized Iraq's second largest city Mosul, but the Kurdish Peshmerga reclaimed the dam soon after despite the dam still being in the militants’ hands.
In the case of the dam’s collapse, the resultant flood would be life-threatening to humans, animals and agriculture in the Nineveh, Kirkuk and Salahaddin provinces.
Mosul Dam, once called Saddam Dam, was constructed in 1983. It is located on the Tigris River in the western province of Nineveh, upstream from the city of Mosul. It is the fourth-largest reservoir in the Arab world, with a capacity of about 8 billion cubic meters, and provides electricity to 1.7 million residents in Mosul.