Still, officials warned that those numbers could rise.
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Nineteen people have been confirmed as missing, the local fire department said – six residents of nearby villages, along with 13 workers from the mine. The clay red mud, possibly toxin-filled because of its iron ore source, swept through the village after the dams burst with the vicious and destructive power of lava, sweeping away or claiming by burial everything in its path.
“We’re mapping the area and working with local residents to work out where people might be located”.
Rescuers are searching for dozens of missing people after a dam collapse buried a small Brazilian village in mud. Police, firefighters and local officials also told AP they couldn’t confirm reported death tolls or victims. Earlier Saturday, 23 people had been listed as missing.
Mining giant BHP Billiton, joint owners of the mine with the Brazilian company Vale, said it was offering support.
Cleanup and repairs along miles of flooded river are likely to be very expensive for the companies.
Reuters reports Mariana Mayor Duarte Junior declared a state of emergency, with hundreds of families evacuated from the area.
The dam released heavy water and mud into the town of Bento Rodrigues.
A auto and two dogs are seen on the roof of destroyed houses at the small town of Bento Rodrigues after a dam burst on November 5 in Minas Gerais state, Brazil.
Dams in the mining industry are “hazards we all have to accept to a few degree”, Ali said.
Meanwhile, flyers were circulated with the picture of a missing five-year old named Emanuele, who slipped from her father’s arms as he ran ahead of the torrent carrying her and her two-year-old brother, the newspaper O Globo said. “When the firefighter helicopter arrived, the mud was still coming down”.
Samarco denied that the mudslide residues were toxic and described them as residues “mostly” composed of silicon, a mineral used in processing iron, and which “contain no chemical element injurious to health”. The company adds that the most recent inspection of the dams by the regional environmental office took place in July, finding “total safety conditions”. The analyst said that while the cause and full impact of the accident are as yet unclear, investors were concerned that it could shut down the mine for a few time.
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Samarco said it had set no date to restart the mine, which produces about 30 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Output is shipped to Brazil’s coast and converted into pellets for export to steel mills.
