Brazil Dam collapsed 40 Died, near 300 was buried in mud

BRUMADINHO: The Death toll from the collapse of dam holding back mine wasting in southeastern Brazil rose to 40 on Saturday as searches flying in helicopters and rescuers laboring in deep mud uncovered more bodies.

An estimated 300 people were still missing and authorities expected the death toll to increase during a search made more challenging by intermittent rains.
Scores of families in the city desperately awaited word on their loved ones and remeu zema, governor of minas gerais state, promised those responsible “would be punished”.


Employees of the mining complex owned and operated by Brazilian mining company vale were eating lunch Friday afternoon when the dam gave way, unleashed a sea of reddish- brown mud that knocked over and buried several structures of the company and surrounding areas.
The level of devastation quickly led president jair bolsonaro and other officials to describe It as a tragedy
The flow of waste reached the nearby community of vila ferteco and and occupied vale administrative office. On Saturday, rooftops poked above an extensive field of the mud, which also cut off roads, after the dam collapse, some were evacuated from brumadinho. Other residents of the affected areas barely escaped with their lives.
“I saw all the mud coming down the hill snapping the trees as it descended. It was a tremendous noise”. Said a tearful simone pedrosa, form the neighborhood of parqe cachoeira, about 8 kilometers from where the dam collapsed.
Pedrosa, 45, and her parents dashed to their car and drove to the highest point in the neighhood. “if wwe had gone down the other direction , we would have died.” Pedrosa said, adding that she had a feeling “that this was the end of my life”.
“I cannot get the noise out of my heady”. She said. “it’s a trauma…  I’ll never forget”.