A large dam in Brazil, operated by the country's largest mining company, has suddenly collapsed. At least 60 people have been confirmed dead and at least 300 people are still missing and unaccounted for. Government rescue workers are on the scene trying to locate and retrieve the missing victims.
According to officials of the southeastern states of Minas Gerais, only eight of the bodies found have so far been identified. Hundreds of people, including workers, contractors, residents, and bystanders were swept away by the torrent of water that came rushing down after the dam collapsed.
The dam was operated by the Vale Mining Company, the country's largest mining firm. At least 260 people, employed by the company, were stationed at the dam when it was destroyed. It is not yet clear how many of those employees were able to evacuate after the dam collapsed. Employees were reportedly having their lunch break Friday afternoon when the entire structure suddenly gave way.
A large amount of water surged through the surrounding area right after the dam located near the town of Brumadinho collapsed. The torrent of water brought with it mining debris possibly contaminated with mineral waste. The surge hit several surrounding communities. Houses, livestock, vehicles, and other structures were destroyed and buried in mud and debris causing millions of dollars in damages.
Firefighters and rescue workers from the country's Civil Defense department immediately rushed to the scene to help those who were trapped under the rubble and mud. According to officials, at least twenty-three people have been transported to the nearest hospital. Hundreds are still unaccounted for, possibly buried under several feet of mud and debris.
Vale Mining has issued a statement mentioning that they are still investigating the cause of the collapse. The company also stated that they are working hard to support the rescue effort and that the lives of their employees and the local communities are their top priority. Rescue workers and transport vehicles are currently having a hard time reaching victims due to large amounts of debris blocking several roads going into different settlements. Workers also had to manually dig through deep mud to get to the victims in certain areas.
This isn't the first time that a dam operated by the company has catastrophically failed. In November 2015, a dam located near the village of Bento Rodrigues also collapsed, killing nineteen people. The dam was operated by Samarco, a joint venture partner of Vale Mining. Samarco had to pay a total of US$4.4 billion in damages to those who were affected by the collapse.
