One year on, Brazil town remembers 270 killed in dam breachMourners in Brumadinho, Brazil released red balloons on January 25, 2020 in memory of the 270 people killed following a massive dam breachBRUMADINHO (BRAZIL) - Residents of Brumadinho in southeastern Brazil paid homage on Saturday to the 270 people killed one year ago when a nearby dam burst, spewing millions of tons of mining waste over homes and farmland in one of the country's worst industrial accidents. Page-sized photographs of the victims in clear plastic sleeves were placed on the ground and strung up on cables at the outdoor memorial. On Tuesday, state prosecutors charged the ex-boss of Vale Fabio Schvartsman and 15 others with intentional homicide in the dam collapse. Vale and its German auditor TUV SUD, which had certified the dam's stability, have been accused of environmental crimes. The dam breach was caused by an accumulation of water and a lack of drainage, according to a report commissioned by Vale and published last month.

Source: Bangkok Post January 26, 2020 01:41 UTC