Toll in Brazil dam disaster rises to 157 dead, 182 missing

SAO PAULO, Brazil – The toll from a dam collapse at a mine in southeast Brazil’s Minas Gerais state has risen to 157 deaths after nearly two weeks of searches, with 182 missing, authorities said Thurday.

Those listed as missing are presumed dead, but not yet located under the layers of muddy mining waste released when the tailings dam broke apart in the town of Brumadinho on January 25. (READ: Residents near Brazil dam disaster exposed to illness, expert warns)

In recent days, rescue teams have battled rains which limited their ability to fly helicopters over the area.

Virtually all the dead and missing were workers at the iron ore mine, buried under an avalanche of sludgy mining waste when the dam collapsed above the facility’s cafeteria and main administrative area. – Rappler.com