Could history repeat itself and cause another huge landslide in Yangtze river, China?

According to a research led by the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, the blocking of China's Yangtze River about 30,000 years ago, is attributed to an enormous earthquake induced landslide. Scientists suggest that if a similar event could occur again today, will have a catastrophic impact to the local area, where the world's third largest hydropower project is going to be constructed.

While today the river is in full flow, evidence suggests that the pre-historic earthquake caused the mobilization of enormous quantities of soil, which created a 200m wide dam, essentially blocking the river flow and forming a 100km long reservoir upstream. The water may have eventually broke this dam, causing widespread flooding in the valley downstream. Nowadays, this earthquake prone area is home to 500,000 people and the spot where the new Beihatan Dam is being built. Hence, according to Professor Higgit, the research's lead investigator, the presence of the new reservoir is generating a crucial need for assessing associated seismic and slope stability hazards, aiming in avoiding history repeat itself.