US warns of Mosul dam collapse in northern Iraq

The US embassy in Baghdad has warned the risk of the Mosul Dam collapsing is "serious and unprecedented" and has urged people to be ready to evacuate."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 prompt evacuation offers the most effective tool to save lives of the hundreds of thousands of people," the security message said. If the dam burst, floodwaters could kill 1.47 million Iraqis living along the River Tigris, the embassy said. Iraq's prime minister has said precautions are being taken, but that such a scenario is "highly unlikely".

The United States warned its citizens to be ready to leave Iraq in the event of what it has said could be a catastrophic collapse of the country's largest hydro-electric dam near Mosul.