BRAZIL MINE DAM BURSTS AFTER RAIN !
Rain-triggered mudslides have destroyed homes in the south-east. Heavy rains have caused a dam at a mine in south-eastern Brazil to burst creating a mudslide which has forced some 5,000 people from their homes.
Environmental agencies say they are testing the mud for toxicity as vast quantities of bauxite residue flowed into the nearby river.
The dam burst at a bauxite mine near the town of Mirai on Wednesday.
Torrential rain has left dozens dead and many homeless in south-eastern Brazil in recent weeks.
Authorities said initial tests on the slick indicated that the mud was not toxic.
But officials said that, as a precautionary measure, drinking water is being taken by truck to the affected area.
The government of the state of Minas Gerais says it will close the mine, which experienced a similar accident last year.
Authorities have ordered nearby residents to abandon their homes because of the mud slick, some two million cubic metres in size.
Environmental agencies say they are testing the mud for toxicity as vast quantities of bauxite residue flowed into the nearby river.
The dam burst at a bauxite mine near the town of Mirai on Wednesday.
Torrential rain has left dozens dead and many homeless in south-eastern Brazil in recent weeks.
Authorities said initial tests on the slick indicated that the mud was not toxic.
But officials said that, as a precautionary measure, drinking water is being taken by truck to the affected area.
The government of the state of Minas Gerais says it will close the mine, which experienced a similar accident last year.
Authorities have ordered nearby residents to abandon their homes because of the mud slick, some two million cubic metres in size.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
posted by jackaranda at 11:49 pm
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