Brazilian police arrested five individuals in connection with the collapse of a dam that claimed the lives of at least 84 people (as of Jan. 29) while 300 more are still unaccounted for. Hopes of finding more survivors dim as the search and rescue enters the fifth day today.
The deadly disaster also left part of the city covered in thick mining waste and reddish-brown mud. It destroyed homes and buried everything in its path when the dam burst on Jan. 25.
Four days after the incident, the police apprehended five people that include employees of Vale SA, the owner of the mining dam. As per CNBC, those who were taken into police custody include three employees who were in charge of the licensing of the company's Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine dam and two engineers at Vale's partner company.
It was learned that the engineers work for TÜV SÜD, a firm that inspected the dam back in September 2018. They issued a certification stating that the dam is stable and safe.
The detectives in Minas Gerais state arrested them mainly on suspicion of murder, falsification of documents and environmental crimes. The authorities also hope that the arrest will shed light as to the root cause of the tragedy and pinpoint other people who are responsible for the collapse of the water barrier in Brumadinho.
In response to the arrests, Vale issued a short statement that assured the authorities that it will cooperate with the investigation.
"With regards to the warrants served this morning, Vale informs that it is fully cooperating with the authorities. Vale will continue to support the investigations in order to determine the facts, in addition to the unconditional support to the families," the official statement posted on Jan. 29 reads.
The Vale mining company is also facing class action lawsuits and penalties. The dam incident also spurred protests in Rio de Janeiro where the company is based as the citizens call on the government to renationalize Vale.
As a result, Wall Street Journal reported that the mining firm shut down 10 dams that are similar to the one that burst last weekend. Vale could replace these dams but analysts said that the project would cost around $3 billion.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian iron-ore producer owns 17 tailings dams that were built using the "upstream design." Experts say that this type of building is considered riskier compared to modern structures.
