Mine dam burst in Brazil kills at least 34
Toll expected to rise with up to 350 miners and residents still missing after landslide
BRASILIA: The confirmed number of deaths after a mining dam burst in Brazil yesterday was 34, with officials expecting that figure to rise.
Rescue workers were frantically working yesterday to recover more survivors from a flooded area where about 300 people were missing after a mining dam burst and inundated the surrounding area in a sea of mud.
The Minas Gerais state governor said 46 people were found alive.
‘‘It’s very likely that we will now only recover bodies,’’ he said.
Among those missing are up to 200 residents of Brumadinho in the state of Minas Gerais, and 100 to 150 miners.
The mine was operated by the Vale company. Vale president Fabio Schvartsman did not know the cause of the accident.
Brazil’s Environment Ministry announced an immediate fine of $US66.2 million ($NZ96.8 million) against the mining company.
Photos and videos showed a torrent of mud flowing through Brumadinho, with sludge inundating roads and homes. People were being plucked to safety by rescue helicopters.
President Jair Bolsonaro, who has previously pledged to give more free rein to companies and has dismissed environmental concerns, was flown to the area by helicopter.
‘‘We will do everything in our power to help the victims, to minimise the damage, to investigate the facts, to ensure justice and to prevent these tragedies for Brazilians and the environment in future,’’ Bolsonaro tweeted. The head of nature preservation organisation WWF in Brazil, Mauricio Voivodic, said the country needed to strengthen government authorities to ‘‘monitor economic activities that posed a high risk to the environment and society.’’
Greenpeace environmentalist Nilo D’Avila condemned the events as a catastrophe that showed Brazil’s mining community had learned nothing.
‘‘This is not an accident, but an environmental crime that must be punished.’’