An alarm warning of an imminent mining dam rupture was activated early yesterday in Brumadinho, the same Brazilian community where a dam collapsed on Friday, killing 40 and leaving about 300 missing, firefighters and the mining company said.
The alarm went off at 5:30am, warning of dangerously high water levels at a dam that is part of the Corrego do Feijao mining complex, a statement by the Vale mining company said.
Firefighters said they were evacuating communities near the dam.
Photo: Bloomberg
“Attention, general area evacuation!” blared a warning through loudspeakers in Brumadinho. “Find the highest point in the city.”
The warning came just hours after the Israeli military said that a search-and-rescue delegation was on its way to Brazil to assist the victims the dam collapse.
Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the 130-person delegation, which includes K-9 forces, firefighters and a special underwater unit, was expected to stay for a week.
On Saturday, hope that loved ones had survived the tsunami of iron ore mine waste was turning to anguish and anger over the increasing likelihood that many of the hundreds of people missing had died.
“I’m angry. There is no way I can stay calm,” said Sonia Fatima da Silva, as she tried to get information about her son, who had worked at Vale for 20 years. “My hope is that they be honest. I want news, even if it’s bad,”
Minas Gerais state Governor Romeu Zema said most recovery efforts would entail findin bodies.
Vale chief executive Fabio Schvartsman said he did not know what caused the collapse.
State courts and the justice ministry in Minas Gerais on Saturday ordered the freezing of about US$1.5 billion from Vale assets for state emergency services and told the firm to present a report about how it would help victims.
Brazilian Attorney General Raquel Dodge promised to investigate, saying “someone is definitely at fault.”
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