CHARGES LAID IN DEADLY DAM COLLAPSE

RIO DE JANEIRO Brazilian police announced charges against employees of two multinational companies Friday over their role in a mining-dam breach in January that killed hundreds of people and was one of the worst environmental disasters in Brazil’s history.

Police accused employees of the Vale mining conglomerate and the German safety-certification company TUV SUD of fraudulently attesting to the safety of the dam months before it gave way near the town of Brumadinho in the state of Minas Gerais, killing at least 249 people.

The employees were charged with criminal misrepresentation and face up to 18 years in prison.

TUV SUD declined to comment. Vale, the world’s largest producer of iron ore, also declined to comment other than saying it would “evaluate” the police reports and co-operate with the investigation.

The allegations, against seven Vale officials and six TUV SUD workers, were the first criminal charges brought against the companies over the dam rupture, marking the next phase in a series of probes into what caused it and who is to blame.

In July, a judge ordered Vale to pay all damages, without citing a specific amount. Days later, Vale agreed to pay more than $100 million to the affected families.

On Jan. 25, the dam in Brumadinho spilled nearly 2 million cubic meters of toxic mine waste. The mud crashed into the mine’s administrative headquarters, where hundreds of employees were eating, then deluged a small community. Dozens of people are still missing.

The Washington Post