伊拉克政府和美国大使馆向底格里斯河沿岸居民发出警告，摩苏尔大坝可能将坍塌。周日晚，伊拉克总理在一份声明中，要求沿底格里斯河居民至少离河岸6公里。
美国驻伊拉克大使馆也发出了类似警报。称大坝坍塌将是严重的和史无前例的。美国大使馆声明称，立刻疏散是挽救数百万人生命的最有效的手段。据声明中估计，洪水将会杀死伊拉克沿岸将近150万人。
尽管美国官方很久以前就已经发布了有关摩苏尔大坝的警告，星期日的警告是对相关日期的最强公共警告。
BAGHDAD (AP) -- The Iraqi government and the U.S. embassy in Baghdad are warning residents along the Tigris river of a possible collapse of the Mosul Dam. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi asked Mosul residents along the Tigris river to move at least six kilometers (3.7 miles) away from its banks in a statement released Sunday night.
In a similar statement also released Sunday, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad called the dam's risk of collapse "serious and unprecedented."
"Prompt evacuation offers the most effective tool to save lives of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis," the U.S. embassy statement continued, estimating that floodwaters could kill nearly 1.5 million Iraqis living along the Tigris.
While U.S. officials have long issued warnings regarding Mosul Dam, the Sunday statements are the strongest public warnings to date.
