Brazil is Still Cleaning Up 2 Years After One of the Biggest Environmental Disasters (IMAGE)
Caption
The township of Bento Rodrigues. On the 5 November 2015, the Samarco Mineração S.A Fundão tailings dam, containing approximately 55 million m3 of tailings collapsed. The failure released an estimated 33 million m3 of tailings, which travelled down a natural waterway first inundating the town of Bento Rodriguez, approximately 8 km from the dam site. The mud and debris continued to move downstream for 650 km along the Rio Doce River, reaching the Atlantic coast 17 days later. Sadly 19 people were killed, including 14 workers at the dam site, and 5 people in the Bento Rodrigues community. Hundreds more people were displaced in towns and cities downstream.
Credit
Cover image from the UNEP GRID-Arendal report
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