Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-11
10000 Italians Toll to Collect Bodies
And Baik Disease in Dam Disaster

BELLUNO. Italy. Oct. II
(R).-More than 10000 men
worked feverishly today to COL
lect bodies Of the dead in the
Vaiont Dam disaster and bury
them in a gigantic mass grave
to prevent outbreaks of dis
ease.
Premier Giovanni Leone
came from Rome for a first
hand view of the tragedy as
police moved out more than 200
persons whose villages were en-
dangered by the threat of new
landslides.
Estimates of the dead ranged
up to 5000 believed killed when
a mountain landslide crashed
into the dams reservoir
Wednesday night and sent
flood waters roaring over the
dam and down the Piave River
valley.
As Mr.. Leone began his tour
under morning sun, 500 bod
les had been recovered.
Most Still Buried
Most Of the victims were still
buried under the tons of mud
and rock that turned the lovely
Alpine valley so miles north of
Venice into a wasteland. Many
of the bodies may never be
recovered.
Deputy Mayor Terenzio Ar
DUN of Longerone, whose town
Of 1900 was wiped out, said
at least 1900 of the towns resi-
dents were under the debris.
Several hundred residents of
other villages also were miss
ing.
Interior Undersecretary Clio
vanni Giraudo said rapid re-
covery of the bodies was the
most urgent problem. He
warned that If they were not
soon buried properly, the area
would face a major epidemic
hazard.
United States military per-
sonnet worked alongside Ital-
ian troops, police and Red
Cross teams. Many worked
through the night under
searchlights. Supplies and
heavy earthmoving equipment
came from all sections of Italy.
The landslide, crashing into
the reservoir, sent more than
100 millions of tons of water
plunging nearly TOO feet up the
surrounding mountain sides.
Then the raging water boiled
over the 873-foot-high REIN
forced concrete dam, the worlds
third highest, and roared down
the valley, wiping out whole
villages.
Italian officials said no
American civilians were known
to have been caught in the
disaster. A spokesman for
United States military forces
in Italy said no American per-
sonnet or dependents were near
the stricken area.
In Washington, President
Kennedy ordered the Defense
Department to provide ANY
assistance required and de-
sired" by the italian govern
ment. He also cabled Italian
President Antonio Segni that
''aI Americans join me in ex-
pressing heartfelt sympathy to
those who have suffered"
Separate Probes Opened
The Italian magistracy in
Rome and the government Of
Premier Leone opened separate
investigations to determine If
any negligence had been in
volved.
Mr.. Giraudo told newsmen
last night that recent heavy
rains had caused some pre-
occupation" about conditions
Of the side of Mount Toe, the
6,336-foot peak on the south
flank of the reservoir from
which the mass of earth and
stones crashed into the water.
An upper corner of the dam
was damaged but the barrier
held fast.
Mr.. Giraudo said engineers
had been lowering the reservoir
level for three days AS a normal
precaution before winter, when
danger of landslideS always in
crease.
Survivors said there had
been signs of a landslide for
the last 10 days. They talked
of having seen earth advancing
slowly down Mount Toe and
of rocks crumbling into the
reservoir.
But ENEL, the government
agency in charge of the power
industry, denied that its en-
gineers could have averted the
disaster.