Abadi plays down, and admits, Mosul Dam hazards

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi both played down and admitted dangers pertaining to a potential collapse of the Mosul Dam as warnings increase from experts that the 1985 construction could disastrously fall down.

Asked during a press conference in Baghdad on Tuesday, said the scale of danger from the dam was “so small”, but said precautions should be taken, however.

“There is a professional Italian company which was contracted and had begun working (in the dam’s maintenance). The dam’s lower gate has been repaired, and the current water level does not represent any danger,” said Abadi.

But he added that “if occurred (the collapse), however, the outcome would be catastrophic, a flood sweeping everything on its way”.

Several local and U.S. experts had warned of a disastrous collapse of the dam, which is known to contain constructional flaws since its establishment in the 1980s.

Built on unstable ground, earth underneath the dam has been eroding by water, and maintenance workers have used to reinforce its foundations with cement. Experts warn an imminent collapse of the dam could affect one million Iraqis.

In February 2016, Iraq had signed a 273 million-euro, 18-month contract for the dam’s maintenance with Italian company

In a recent interview with CNN, journalist Dexter Flikins warned that the imminent collapse of the dam would submerge Mosul, within one hour, under 80 feet of water, with the damage expanding over 100 miles. He said between one and 1.5 million people would die in the disaster.