Research suspended for the mining disaster in Brazil – ElSol.com.ar – Diario de Mendoza, Argentina

Rescue teams on Monday suspended the search for new victims of the mining disaster in the town of Brumadinho, in southeastern Brazil, because of heavy rains this morning, official sources said.

According to Lt. Col. Anderson Pbados, with the rains of the last night, the mineral remains that are still in the dam that broke on January 25 are likely to arrive. in the area where the brigades operate. safety.

Helicopters used to search for survivors and potential victims were also unable to begin operations on Monday.

According to the latest count, the mining tragedy reportedly left at least 121 dead and 226 missing, mostly workers of the mining giant Vale, owner of the dam that collapsed near Brumadinho, a city in the state of Minas Gerais.

Built in 1976, the dam had the capacity to store about 13 million cubic meters of ferrous waste and water, destroying Vale's administrative area, houses, farms, inns and roads in minutes. with enormous force, as if it would be a tsunami of mud.

Rescue operations are complex and slow to develop due to the complexity of the terrain after the tragedy, as there are areas where the lama reaches a height of 20 meters, amid the desperation of relatives of the victims.

The disaster occurred only three years after the disaster in Mariana, a municipality also in the state of Minas Gerais, where the construction of several dams of mining company Samarco, controlled by Vale and BHP Billiton, left 19 dead and an unprecedented environmental tragedy.

Vale announced last week its intention to close all dams built in the same way as Brumadinho, ie the waste itself and the land in the area.

According to non-governmental organizations, the Brazilian authorities have not yet been able to accurately measure the nature of the Paraopeba River, where the sea of ​​mud has arrived, destroying much of the fauna and flora that surrounds it. It houses.

The people of Brumadinho continue to be shocked by this disaster. The resumption of clbades, scheduled for Monday, has been suspended indefinitely because of the tragedy, although city council has announced that the school year begins before next week.