(Leo Correa, File/Associated Press)RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s leading research institute warned Tuesday of a potential health crisis from the failure of a dam in Minas Gerais state, which unleased a flood of muddy mining waste that killed at least 134 people. Fiocruz, linked to the Ministry of Health, largely based its assessments on studies carried out in the aftermath of a mining dam collapse in November 2015, also in Minas Gerais. “This is the biggest mining dam disaster in Brazil and one of the greatest in the world”, said Mariano Andrade da Silva, a researcher at the National School of Public Health linked to Fiocruz. Fiocruz experts said past experiences indicate that remote communities are particularly vulnerable to the spread of diseases and worsening of health conditions. Beyond health issues, the national health system also picked up the tab for helicopters, firefighters and other search-and-rescue efforts.

Source: Washington Post February 05, 2019 17:44 UTC