MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2019) Brazilian mining corporation Vale, the world's largest iron ore miner, announced on Saturday the evacuation of about 200 people in the area near its mine's dam in the state of Minas Gerais as a precautionary measure after recent deadly collapse of nearby dam.
A tailings dam at Vale's Corrego do Feijao mine in the state's Brumadinho municipality collapsed on January 25, triggering heavy mud floods. According to the latest data, the death toll reached 166 people, with almost 150 still missing.
"For safety reasons, Vale is removing about 200 people from an area comprising 49 buildings (homes and commercial buildings) in the region of Macacos, located 25 km from Belo Horizonte. ... The company made this decision after reviewing data from analysis reports from specialized advisory firms," the company said in a statement.
The evacuation is conducted with support of civil defense and other relevant agencies, it added.
The dam structure is stable, and the evacuation is a preventive measure, the company stressed.
Vale's market value fell by almost a quarter, or by $19 billion, since the Brumadinho disaster, which was the company's second dam collapse with multiple casualties in less than four years. In late 2015, a tailings dam collapsed at a mine managed by Samarco, Vale's joint venture with BHP, killing 19 people and inflicting enormous damage to the region's environment.
