Shit:
A dam holding back waste water from an iron ore mine owned by BHP Billiton and Brazil’s Vale burst on Thursday in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, and local media reported as many as 16 people may have been killed.
Mining company Samarco, a joint venture between BHP and Vale, said in a statement it had not yet determined why the dam burst or the extent of the disaster at its Germano mine near the town of Mariana. It is yet to confirm whether there were any fatalities.
Vale directed media questions to Samarco, while BHP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The city council told Globo News it was evacuating about 600 people to higher ground from the village of Banto, which was flooded as a result of the accident.
