.JPG) Panoramic view of the Vega de Tera Reservoir in 2009. The ruptured retaining wall is visible. | |
| Date | 9 January 1959 |
|---|---|
| Location | Ribadelago, Province of Zamora, Francoist Spain |
| Coordinates | 42°10′41″N 6°46′44″W / 42.178°N 6.779°W |
| Cause | Dam failure |
| Deaths | 144 |
The Vega de Tera disaster, (also known as the Ribadelago disaster [Catástrofe de Ribadelago]) was a flood that occurred on the early morning of 9 January 1959 in the Province of Zamora, Spain. The flood was caused by the failure of a dam, releasing water from the Vega de Tera reservoir. A total of 144 of the 664 residents in Ribadelago were killed. It was the first of two fatal dam failures in Europe that year; in December, the collapse of the Malpasset Dam resulted in over 400 fatalities.