Rescuers are searching for survivors in a huge area of south-eastern Brazil buried by mud after the collapse of a dam holding back mining waste.
At least nine people are dead and up to 300 more are missing after the disaster in Minas Gerais state.
State governor Romeu Zema said: “Most likely, from now on we are mostly going to be recovering bodies.”
Workers with Brazilian mining company Vale were eating lunch on Friday afternoon when the dam collapsed, unleashing a sea of reddish-brown mud that knocked over and buried several structures belonging to the company.
The level of devastation in the city of Brumadinho and surrounding areas quickly led President Jair Bolsonaro to describe it as a “tragedy”.
Vale CEO Fabio Schvartsman said he did not know what caused the collapse, and confirmed that about 300 employees were working in the area when it happened. About 100 have been accounted for, and rescue efforts are under way to determine what had happened to the others.
Mr Schvartsman told a news conference that “the principal victims were our own workers”, adding that the restaurant where many of his staff ate “was buried by the mud at lunchtime”.
After the dam collapsed in the afternoon, parts of Brumadinho were evacuated, and firefighters rescued people by helicopter and ground vehicles.
Local television channel TV Record showed a helicopter hovering inches off the ground as it pulled people covered in mud out of the waste.
Photos showed rooftops poking above an extensive field of the mud, which also cut off roads. The flow of waste reached the nearby community of Vila Ferteco and a Vale administrative office, where employees were present.
Another dam administered by Vale and Australian mining company BHP Billiton collapsed in 2015 in the city of Mariana in Minas Gerais state, resulting in 19 deaths and forcing hundreds of people from their homes.
Considered the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history, it left 250,000 people without drinking water and killed thousands of fish.
An estimated 60 million cubic metres of waste flooded rivers and eventually flowed into the Atlantic Ocean.
Mr Schvartsman said what happened on Friday was “a human tragedy much larger than the tragedy of Mariana, but probably the environmental damage will be less”.
Mr Bolsonaro, who assumed office on January 1, said he has sent three cabinet ministers to the area.
“We will take all the possible steps to minimise the suffering of families and victims,” Mr Bolsonaro said in a speech, which he posted on Twitter.
The president plans to tour the area later. The far-right leader campaigned on promises to jump-start Brazil’s economy, in part by deregulating mining and other industries.
Environmental groups and activists said the latest spill underlined a lack of regulation.
The rivers of mining waste raised fears of widespread contamination.
According to Vale’s website, the mine waste, often called tailings, is composed mostly of sand and is non-toxic. However, a UN report found that the waste from the 2015 disaster “contained high levels of toxic heavy metals”.
- Press Association
Nine dead and hundreds missing after Brazil dam bursts
At least nine people have died and around 200 remain missing after a mining dam collapsed in Brazil.
President Jair Bolsonaro described the collapse in the city of Brumadinho as a “tragedy”.
Seven bodies had been recovered by late on Friday, according to the governor’s office of Minas Gerais state. But it was feared the death toll would grow as rescue and recovery teams dug through feet of mud.
Fabio Schvartsman, CEO of mining company Vale, said he did not know what caused the collapse. About 300 employees were working when it happened. About 100 had been accounted for, and rescue efforts were under way to determine what had happened to the others.
“The principal victims were our own workers,” Mr Schvartsman told a news conference, adding that the restaurant where many ate “was buried by the mud at lunchtime”.
After the dam collapsed in the afternoon, parts of Brumadinho were evacuated, and firefighters rescued people by helicopter and ground vehicles. Local television channel TV Record showed a helicopter hovering inches off the ground as it pulled people covered in mud out of the waste.
Photos showed rooftops poking above an extensive field of the mud, which also cut off roads. The flow of waste reached the nearby community of Vila Ferteco and a Vale administrative office, where employees were present.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Josiele Rosa Silva Tomas, president of Brumadinho residents association. “It was horrible… the amount of mud that took over.”
Ms Silva Tomas said she was awaiting news of her cousin, and many she knew were trying to get news of loved ones.
Another dam administered by Vale and Australian mining company BHP Billiton collapsed in 2015 in the city of Mariana in Minas Gerais state, resulting in 19 deaths and forcing hundreds from their homes.
Considered the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history, it left 250,000 people without drinking water and killed thousands of fish. An estimated 60 million cubic meters of waste flooded rivers and eventually flowed into the Atlantic Ocean.
Mr Schvartsman said what happened on Friday was “a human tragedy much larger than the tragedy of Mariana, but probably the environmental damage will be less”.
The state fire department said about 200 people were missing. The Minas Gerais governor’s office said 150 were missing.
Mr Bolsonaro, who assumed office on January 1, said he lamented the accident and sent three cabinet ministers to the area.
“We will take all the possible steps to minimise the suffering of families and victims,” Mr Bolsonaro said.
Mr Bolsonaro planned to tour the area by helicopter on Saturday. The far-right leader campaigned on promises to jump-start Brazil’s economy, in part by deregulating mining and other industries.
Environmental groups and activists said the latest spill underscored a lack of regulation.
The latest spill “is a sad consequence of the lessons not learned by the Brazilian government and the mining companies responsible for the tragedy with Samarco dam, in Mariana, also controlled by Vale,” Greenpeace said in a statement.
“History repeats itself,” tweeted Marina Silva, a former environmental minister and three-time presidential candidate. “It’s unacceptable that government and mining companies haven’t learned anything.”
The rivers of mining waste raised fears of widespread contamination.
According to Vale’s website, the mine waste, often called tailings, is composed mostly of sand and is non-toxic. However, a UN report found that the waste from the 2015 disaster “contained high levels of toxic heavy metals.”
Vale is Brazil’s largest mining company. Two hours after the accident, its stock fell 10% on the New York Stock Exchange.
Just before midnight Saturday, firefighters put out a list of 187 people who had been rescued throughout the afternoon.
Of the 427 workers who were on hand when the dam collapsed, 279 had been accounted for, Vale said in a statement.
More than 100 firefighters were on the scene and another 200 were expected to arrive Saturday.- Press Association
